Decrypting IDEA databases

The IDEA database mode is selected by default. If you're in CSV file mode, select the IDEA Databases option at the top left of the Data Privacy dialog to switch back to IDEA mode.

The Decryption tab for IDEA databases lets you do the following:

Select databases and fields

Select a previously pseudonymized database from the Database drop-down list.
From the Field drop-down list, select the field or fields you want to apply decryption to.

You can repeat this for multiple databases.

Note:

Make sure that you select only databases and fields to which you have previously applied pseudonymization.
Deleted items in IDEA are not automatically removed from the app. Databases or fields that no longer exist in IDEA will trigger a warning and give you the option to synchronize manually.
If you remove the last field from a database, the entire database setup will be removed.

Apply decryption

From the Data privacy method drop-down list, you can apply only the Decrypt method. Note that only pseudonymized data can be decrypted. All other methods are irreversible.

Specify an output database name

Accept or overwrite the suggested name in the Output database name field. Each output database must have a unique name. The app auto-generates names with a DPD (Data Privacy Decrypted) suffix. You can edit the name unless you've selected the Replace the existing database option at the bottom of the dialog.

Enter the previously specified password

If you chose pseudonymization as your privacy method, you had to provide a password for each pseudonymization process. This password was used to encrypt the data, and in order to decrypt them you need to enter the password here or paste it from the clipboard using the Paste the password icon.

Note:

Ensure that you use the exact password that you specified for the data you want to decrypt.

Output options

Save as new database (default): Creates new databases with the decrypted data.
Replace the existing database: Overwrites the original databases. The database position in the IDEA project may change.
Speed boost: Speeds up processing, recommended for large datasets.
Ultra security: Makes processing extra secure (only available when Speed boost is enabled).

Preview the decrypted data

The Preview button lets you verify that you're using the correct password for the correct dataset before running the full decryption.

Since decryption only works when the exact same password is used that was originally specified during encryption, a different password will result in the data not being decrypted.

The preview shows the first five values so you can confirm that the password matches the dataset. If the previewed values look correctly decrypted, you can safely proceed. If the results seem wrong, it's likely due to a mistyped password or using a password meant for a different dataset. In that case you should correct the input before continuing.

Start the process

Once everything is set, click Process to decrypt the full dataset. The app will begin decryption and show a progress dialog.

You can cancel the process at any time:

If you select to save progress, the partially processed database will be kept.
If you discard, the original state will be restored.