Oracle Data Masking: Oracle Enterprise vs. Alternatives

Oracle Database Overview

For decades, Oracle has been a leader in the database management system space with a powerful suite of database tools. Oracle Database is a robust and highly scalable relational database management system (RDBMS) widely used for enterprise applications. It operates on a structured framework where data is organized into tables, which are composed of rows and columns. Each column in a table represents a specific attribute of the data, such as names or dates, while each row represents a unique record. The Oracle Database supports complex data types, indexing, and transactions, enabling efficient data retrieval and manipulation. It also employs a schema to define the structure and relationships between different tables and other database objects like views, indexes, and sequences. Oracle’s architecture ensures data integrity, security, and high performance through advanced features such as multiversion concurrency control, data partitioning, and real-time analytics.

Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) is an integrated management tool that fits into the Oracle Database ecosystem, providing a comprehensive suite of monitoring, administration, and performance management capabilities. OEM can be run both on premises or in the cloud, and it allows database administrators to oversee the health, performance, and security of their Oracle databases through a unified interface. It offers advanced features for an additional licensing fee, including Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting.

Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting Overview

Oracle offers an integrated data discovery, subsetting, and masking solution as part of Oracle Enterprise Manager. This tool, named Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting, is primarily a static masking solution.

Oracle highlights ten key benefits of the Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting package for users:

• Maximize Data Utility: Enhance the business value of your data by masking sensitive information, ensuring that it remains useful for testing and development without compromising security.
• Minimize Compliance Risk: Reduce the compliance boundary by preventing the proliferation of sensitive production data across non-production environments, thereby mitigating regulatory risks.
• Reduce Storage Costs: Lower storage costs in test and development environments by subsetting data, creating smaller, more manageable datasets that mirror the complexities of production environments.
• Automated Data Discovery: Automate the identification of sensitive data and the mapping of parent-child relationships within databases, streamlining the data masking and subsetting process.
• Comprehensive Resources: Leverage a robust library of masking formats, transformations, subsetting techniques, and application templates to address diverse data protection needs.
• Flexible Masking and Subsetting: Perform data masking and subsetting either in-database or on-the-fly by extracting data from the source database, providing flexibility in how data protection is implemented.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Mask and subset data across both Oracle and non-Oracle databases, ensuring broad applicability and support for various database environments.
• Cloud Integration: Effectively mask and subset Oracle Databases hosted on the Oracle Cloud, ensuring cloud-based data remains secure and compliant.
• Preserve Data Integrity: Maintain data integrity during the masking and subsetting processes, ensuring that data remains realistic and functional for non-production use cases.
• Integration with Oracle Products: Seamlessly integrate with select Oracle testing, security, and integration products, enhancing the overall capabilities and efficiency of your data management strategies.

If you are an Oracle Enterprise Manager subscriber, Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting offers a robust selection of features and capabilities. In addition to Oracle’s native offering, there are a number of database-agnostic platforms such as Accutive Data Discovery and Data Masking (ADM) that offer static data masking for Oracle databases.

Accutive Data Discovery and Data Masking (ADM) for Oracle

Accutive’s ADM solution offers a fully-featured database-agnostic alternative to Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting, with a focus on flexibility, affordability and comprehensive data protection. ADM is a test data management platform that is compliance-centric and agile to support the test data needs of fast-moving DevOps and SecDevOps teams.

Key features include:

• Rapid Data Discovery + Masking: Transition from data discovery to data masking in mere minutes, with 250,000 masking operations per second.
• Seamless Support for all Major Databases: Supports all major database platforms, including Oracle, providing flexibility for organizations that use multiple databases.
• Compliance Aligned: ADM is preconfigured for discovery and masking based on most major compliance categories out of the box, and it is easily configured using intelligent discovery and masking configuration to suit your compliance needs – no matter how unique or exacting.
• Advanced Masking Capabilities: ADM features an array of advanced masking capabilities including programmable masking, Smart Address Generation, Groovy Scripting, and derived-multi-field masking to ensure data integrity in any scenario.
• Enterprise-Wide Referential Integrity: ADM has referential integrity both within Oracle Database and enterprise-wide, meaning that you can ensure that each instance of the record is masked consistently whether it is in Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, or even an Excel file.
• Easy to Use: ADM is straightforward to install, configure, operate and integrate into your CI/CD pipeline for agile test data management.
• Integration into CI/CD Pipeline: Integrate data discovery, masking, and subsetting operations into your CI/CD processes to provide a continuous stream of realistic, usable test data.
• Data Integrity:  Original data is left unchanged, and with referential integrity you can be confident that your masked data is reflective of the original data set.
• Flexible Deployments – cloud or on premises: ADM can be deployed in multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, and on premises to suit your needs.
• Supports Complex File Types: Supports discovery and masking of complex file types including XML, embedded XML, flat files, JSON, and more.

For clients without an Oracle Enterprise Manager license or who operate multiple databases, ADM is a flexible solution that provides significant cost savings compared with Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting.

Comparing Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting with Accutive ADM

Integration and Ease of Use

Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting:

• Seamless integration with Oracle databases.
• Familiar environment for organizations already using Oracle Enterprise Manager.
• While it provides automated workflows, masking configurations can still be complex.

Accutive ADM:

• Supports multiple database platforms, offering greater flexibility for diverse IT environments.
• Intuitive user interface designed for ease of use across different database systems.
• Seamless transition from data discovery to data masking.

Customization and Flexibility

Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting:

• Pre-built masking formats streamline the process but may offer limited customization.
• Best suited for environments where Oracle databases are predominant, but works with other databases.

Accutive ADM:

• Highly customizable masking configurations cater to your specific organizational requirements and compliance needs.
• Versatile database-agnostic solution for organizations with diverse database platforms and complex data protection needs.

Compliance and Security

Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting:

• Ensures compliance with major data privacy regulations through integrated security features.
• Leverages Oracle’s security infrastructure to protect sensitive data.

Accutive ADM:

• Comprehensive compliance features across multiple database platforms.
• Advanced security measures to protect data during masking processes.

Performance and Efficiency

Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting:

• Optimized for Oracle databases, ensuring high performance and efficient data processing.
• Automated processes enhance efficiency and reduce the risk of errors.

Accutive ADM:

• Efficient handling of data across different platforms, ensuring high performance even in heterogeneous environments.
• Rapid masking with 250,000 masking operations per second, meaning that millions of records can be masked in mere seconds.

Cost Considerations

When evaluating the cost of each solution, it’s important to consider both the licensing fees and the potential need for additional solutions if your organization uses multiple database platforms.

Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting:

• Licensing Costs: Oracle’s data masking features are part of the Oracle Enterprise Manager, which requires appropriate licensing. The cost can be significant, especially for large enterprises with extensive Oracle environments.
• Oracle-Specific: While highly effective for Oracle databases, this solution may not support other database platforms without additional tools, potentially requiring investments in multiple solutions if your organization uses a diverse set of databases.

Accutive ADM:

• Licensing Costs: Accutive ADM’s licensing fees vary based on the size of the database environment and specific features required. ADM offers competitive pricing, especially considering its cross-platform support, that starts below $10K per year for straightforward needs.
• Multi-Platform Support: Accutive ADM supports a wide range of databases (including Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, etc.), reducing the need for multiple solutions and potentially lowering overall costs for organizations with heterogeneous database environments.

ADM offers flexible licensing based on the number of databases, and competitive pricing that is significantly lower than Oracle’s Data Masking and Subsetting package. Additionally, ADM has a money back guarantee where you can receive a full refund if you are not satisfied with the product.

Choosing the best Oracle Data Masking Platform for You

Choosing between Oracle’s Data Masking solution and Accutive Data Discovery and Data Masking (ADM) for Oracle depends on your specific needs, databases, and budget. Oracle’s solution is ideal for larger organizations with significant budgets who are heavily invested in Oracle technologies, because it offers native subsetting and masking. On the other hand, Accutive ADM provides greater flexibility, supporting multiple platforms and offering advanced customization options, making it suitable for organizations with multiple databases. Additionally, ADM is a budget conscious option that is significantly lower cost than Oracle Enterprise Manager with the Data Masking and Subsetting package. An important consideration when selecting a software platform or tool is the experience of your peers.

What Gartner Peer Insights Reviewers Say

Oracle Enterprise Manager with Data Masking and Subsetting has generally positive reviews with an average rating of 4.4/5 as of July 24th, 2024 and a mix of 40% 5-Star and 53% 4-Star reviews. Positive reviews for Oracle’s Data Masking solution highlight how well integrated it is with the Oracle Database suite and the other features within Oracle Enterprise Manager. Some users report a steep learning curve, a high workload to administer, and significant costs as downsides.

Accutive Data Discovery and Data Masking is the highest rated Data Masking platform on Gartner Peer Insights; however, it has fewer reviews than Oracle Enterprise Manager. As of July 24th, 2024, ADM has a perfect 5/5 rating on the platform. Reviewers highlight the ease of use and affordable licensing cost as reasons for the high rating.