Encrypting values in a character field

As an administrator, you can configure a character field to show encrypted values instead of regular, clear text. When you configure a character field, to enable hashing, the hashing property encrypts the text in the character field. When you enter text in this character field, the information appears as garbled characters, thus securing the information. This configuration is useful when you want to secure the visibility of sensitive information such as passwords.

You can hash the value for a newly created or already existing character field in a form.

Related topic

Types-of-data-fields

Example:

In BMC Helix Business Workflows application, a case business analyst can enable the identity validation of requesters who request for services and for whom the case agents create cases. Before a case agent creates a case for a requester (or an employee in an organization), it is important that the case agent validates the identity by entering a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that the requester provides.

An administrator enables requester validation by configuring hash value for the PIN field. 

Requester validation ensures the following:

  • The requester is an actual employee and not a fraudulent person who requests a service on behalf of an employee.
  • The case agent does not share any employee-related or sensitive information such as employee bonuses, benefit policies, and reimbursements with a fraudulent person.

To encrypt values in a character field

  1. Log in to Developer Studio.
  2. Create a form or use an existing form.
  3. From the Pallete, drag the Character field to the form.
  4. To set the hashing property, select the character field, in the Properties section, click Database, and update the following properties:
    • In the ID field, enter the field id within the range of 50 to 70.  
    • In the Input Length field, enter field length as 30.
  5. Click Save.

To enable Store Hashed property for a newly created or already existing text field in a record definition by using BMC Helix Innovation Studio, see Configuring Store Hashed property for a text field in BMC Helix Innovation Studio. 

 

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