Getting Started with ALTR & Snowflake
Configure ALTR's Snowflake Service User
Connect Snowflake Databases
Connect Columns to ALTR
Creating Policy & Manage Data
Configuring SCIM for Okta
Classification
Analytics
Column Access Policies
Views
Thresholds
Row Access Policy
Audit Logs
Settings
Tokenization
Tag-Based Data Masking
Tokenization API
Management API
ALTR Driver JDBC Installation
ALTR Driver ODBC Installation
Configure Tableau to Gain User Level Observability
Integrating ALTR Notifications with AWS S3
TDS Proxy Installation
CDM Installation
Custom Masking and Extensibility Functions
Bring Your Own Key for Tokenization
Open-Source Integrations
This page provides information about what Custom Masking and Extensibility Functions are, an explanation of how they function, how to use them, and example cases.
Customized Extensibility Functions can give you even greater capabilities to secure sensitive data for your business needs.
To begin creating custom extensibility functions, you must meet the following prerequisites:
Snowflake Extension Functions are functions that you can customize and define which ALTR inserts into Snowflake and invokes in our Dynamic Data Masking Policies during column access governance. By default, these functions take in the governance decision from ALTR (such as what mask should be applied to a column for a query) and return logic to the masking policy.
You can build custom logic in your user-defined functions (UDF) to modify the functionality of your masking policies, such as calling encryption functions, building custom masks, or practically anything.
When connecting the first column for a database to ALTR, then ALTR creates a UDF named ALTR_HOOK_POST in the ALTR_DSAAS schema. Whenever masking policies are made for columns, they will reference this ALTR_HOOK_POST function. These UDFs are database-specific; a new function is made for every database.
ALTR_HOOK_POST takes in a variety of parameters, including the schema information of the columns and what's returned by ALTR. By default, this ALTR_HOOK_POST function returns NULL and can manually update this UDF in Snowflake to customize the behavior of the masking policy based on ALTR’s output. This can be used to perform functions like customizing masking policies, invoking other functions such as encryption services, or adding additional custom rules to when to govern.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: Modifying this function inherently changes the behavior of data governance in Snowflake in an undefined way. ALTR does not manage or have any guarantees about the behavior of custom functions.
When you remove a database from ALTR, we remove ALTR_HOOK_POST along with all of our other client-side objects. Apart from creating the base USD and removed from ALTR when the database is removed, ALTR does not touch or edit ALTR_HOOK_POST.
To use an extension function, you must replace the default NULL UDF and replace it with your own custom code. This must be done in the ALTR_DSAAS schema for the relevant database. If you have more than one database, then you must perform this operation for each database.
Post-Hook Parameters
ALTR Dispositions
ALTR uses single-letters, text combinations, or characters to indicate different dispositions. These are the possible values of the ALTR_Disposition parameter.
We've provided a few examples of post-hook functions that can override masking policies.
Example 1.
When ALTR indicates the ALTR_DISPOSITION is a '4', (which means the default behavior is to mask everything but the last 4 characters of the value), then this behavior of the ALTR_POST_HOOK function will mask everything but the last 6 characters of the value
Example 2.
When ALTR indicates the ALTR_DISPOSITION is a 'A' (which means the default behavior is to show the value in plain text), then this behavior of the ALTR_POST_HOOK function will call an external function to decrypt the values instead. ALTR does not create this DECRYPT external function. This must be managed by you.
Example 3.
This shows a user-defined function that contains masking policy behavior. Next, the ALTR_POST_HOOK function calls that UDF. The purpose of this is so you don't have to define masking policy behavior on every single database. You just have to create a function that contains the masking policy behavior and then call it from the ALTR_POST_HOOK function.
In this masking policy, when ALTR indicates the ALTR_DISPOSITION is a '4', ( which means the default behavior is to mask everything but the last 4 characters of the value), then this behavior of the ALTR_POST_HOOK function will mask everything but the last 6 characters of the value.
Each of the FAQs are listed by topics.
Question: Will ALTR maintain all custom masking extensibility functions that I write code for?
Answer: You will have to maintain this for your business.
Question: How can I reset the function so that it will use ALTR's default behavior?
Answer: Here's the code that you can write to do that.
Question: Can custom masking and extensibility functions also be used for tokenization?
Answer: Yes
Question: If I have more than one database, then do I have to create custom masking and extensibility functions for each one?
Answer: Yes