US Patent 9680799 Masking and unmasking data over a network

An apparatus with one or more masking rules stored in a memory receives unmasked data associated with a first session identifier via a network and converts the received unmasked data into masked data by applying the one or more masking rules to the unmasked data. The apparatus generates a first mapped identifier associated with the unmasked data and first session identifier. The apparatus also receives, via a network, a second mapped identifier associated with a second session identifier. Upon receiving the second mapped identifier and second session identifier, the apparatus determines whether the second session identifier corresponds to the first session identifier and finds the first mapped identifier corresponding to the received second mapped identifier. The apparatus retrieves and sends the unmasked data associated with the first mapped identifier.