Browsing by Author "Andrew M. Kahonge"

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    Assessing Identity Disclosure Risk in the Absence of Identified Datasets in the Public Domain
    (East African Journal of Information Technology, 2024-07-17) Peter N. Muturi; Andrew M. Kahonge; Christopher K. Chepken
    Data release is essential in supporting data analytics and secondary data analyses. However, data curators need to ensure the released datasets preserve data subjects’ privacy and retain analytical utility. Data privacy is achieved through the anonymisation of datasets before release.The risk of disclosure posed to the dataset should inform the level of anonymisation to be undertaken. As anonymisation achieves data privacy, it reduces the analytical utility of the dataset by introducing alterations to the original data values. Therefore, data curators require an appropriate estimate of the dataset’s identity disclosure risk to inform the required anonymisation that balances privacy and utility. The disclosure risk varies from one geographical region to another due to varying enabling factors. This paper assesses the disclosure risk and the enabling factors in an environment lacking identified datasets in the public domain. This study used a quasi-experimental design in carrying out an empirical identity disclosure test, where respondents were given an anonymised dataset and were required to disclose the identity of any of the records. The findings were that background knowledge of the released datasets was the primary enabler in the absence of identified datasets. Respondents could only disclose records in the dataset they had familiarity with. However, the disclosure risk was within an acceptable threshold. Therefore, the study concluded that in an environment lacking identified datasets in the public domain, reasonable anonymisation could achieve a balance of privacy and utility in datasets. The findings justify private data release able to support data analytics and secondary data analyses in environments lacking identified datasets in the public domain.
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    Modeling Identity Disclosure Risk Estimation Using Kenyan Situation
    (The African Journal of Information Systems, 2024-07-17) Peter N. Muturi; Andrew M. Kahonge; Christopher K. Chepken; Evans K. Miriti
    Identity disclosure risk is an essential consideration in data anonymization aimed at preserving privacy and utility. The risk is regionally dependent. Therefore, there is a need for a regional empirical approach in addition to a theoretical approach in modeling disclosure risk estimation. Reviewed literature pointed to three influencers of the risk. However, we did not find literature on the combined effects of the three influencers and their predictive power. To fill the gap, this study modeled the risk estimation predicated on the combined effect of the three predictors using the Kenyan situation. The study validated the model by conducting an actual re-identification quasi-experiment. The adversary’s analytical competence, distinguishing power of the anonymized datasets, and linkage mapping of the identified datasets are presented as the predictors of the risk estimation. For each predictor, manifest variables are presented. Our presented model extends previous models and is capable of producing a realistic risk estimation.