Devices, systems, and methods for tokenizing sensitive information

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for tokenizing sensitive information are provided herein. Methods may include the steps of receiving sensitive information via an input device, the input device being communicatively coupled to a transaction terminal, tokenizing the sensitive information at the input device to generate a token, and associating the token and the sensitive information together in a storage medium associated with the input device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for tokenizing sensitive data, comprising:
 receiving sensitive information via an input device, the input device being communicatively coupled to a transaction terminal;   tokenizing the sensitive information at the input device to generate a token; and   associating the token and the sensitive information together in a storage medium associated with the input device.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing the token to the transaction terminal. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to receiving a token, providing the sensitive information to a transaction processor along with at least one of the token and the sensitive information from which the token was generated;   receiving from the transaction processor, transaction authorization information along with the at least one of the token and the sensitive information from which the token was generated; and   providing the transaction authorization information and the token to the transaction terminal.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein associating includes providing the token and the sensitive information to a storage device of a provider system over a communications channel that utilizes end-to-end encryption; and indexing the token and the sensitive information together. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 monitoring the input device for a security breach; and   responsive to determining a security breach, rendering the input device inoperable.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein rendering includes executing a locking functionality of the input device based upon a locking signal received from a provider system communicatively coupled to the input device. 
     
     
         7 . A method for tokenizing sensitive data, comprising:
 receiving a token from a tap device disposed between a sensitive information source and a transaction terminal, the token including sensitive information that has been tokenized by the tap device, the tap device being operatively connected to the sensitive information source; and   associating the token and the sensitive information together in a storage medium associated with the tap device.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising providing the token to the transaction terminal. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 responsive to receiving a token, providing the sensitive information to a transaction processor along with at least one of the token and the sensitive information from which the token was generated;   receiving from the transaction processor, transaction authorization information along with the at least one of the token and the sensitive information from which the token was generated; and   providing the transaction authorization information and the token to the transaction terminal.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein associating includes a provider system receiving the token and the sensitive information from the tap device over a communications channel that utilizes an end-to-end encryption protocol; and indexing the token and the sensitive information together. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 monitoring the tap device for a security breach; and   responsive to determining a security breach, rendering the tap device inoperable.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein rendering includes executing a locking functionality of the tap device based upon a locking signal received from a provider system communicatively coupled to the input device. 
     
     
         13 . A system for tokenizing sensitive information, comprising:
 a tap device configured to be disposed between a sensitive information source and a transaction terminal, the tap device including a tokenization application stored in memory and executable by a processor of the tap device to receive sensitive information from the sensitive information source and generate a token from the sensitive information source; and   a provider system communicatively coupled to the tap device that receives the sensitive information and the token from the tap device and associates the sensitive information and the token together in a storage medium.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the storage medium is located remotely from the tap device, and further wherein the tap device and the provider system are communicatively coupled together via a communications channel that utilizes an end-to-end encryption protocol. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the tap device is communicatively coupled to the sensitive information source via at least one of a universal serial bus (USB) cable, a serial cable, a firewire cable, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the tap device includes a locking module that is configured to render the tap device inoperable upon receipt of a locking signal from the provider system by the tap device. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the tap device includes:
 a housing;   a communications device communicatively coupling a processor to a sensitive information source, the communications device being at least partially associated with the housing;   a memory for storing executable instructions configured to tokenize sensitive information received from the sensitive information source;   wherein the processor is disposed within the housing and is adapted to execute the instructions to tokenize sensitive information received from the sensitive information source, the processor being communicatively coupled to the communications device; and   wherein the communications device is communicatively coupled to a storage medium for that receives tokenized sensitive information and the sensitive information.