Methods for encryption validation

Abstract

Online platforms such as online marketplaces may collect sensitive data, such as personal identifiable information or financial information. A data owner (e.g., an operator of an online platform) may encrypt sensitive data prior to storing the data in a persistent data store. An encryption validation method may be performed check whether a data set is encrypted prior to storing the data in the persistent data store. For example, for a data set that includes a set of character strings, the encryption validation method may check whether entropy of corresponding positions of the set of character strings satisfies a threshold (e.g., is within a threshold of a benchmark entropy value) to determine whether the data set is encrypted or sufficiently encrypted (e.g., by checking whether the data set is sufficiently randomized).