Databricks Certified Data Engineer - Professional

Explanation

Generalization is a data anonymization technique that involves replacing specific values with more general or less precise values to protect individual privacy while maintaining data utility.

Correct Answers:

• B. Truncating IP addresses: This is a form of generalization where specific IP addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.100) are replaced with more general ranges (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24) to hide the exact device identity while preserving network-level information.
• D. Binning: This involves grouping continuous numerical values into broader categories or bins (e.g., age 25-34, 35-44, etc.) to generalize specific values while maintaining aggregate patterns.

Incorrect Options:

• A. Hashing: This is a cryptographic technique that transforms data into fixed-length values, but it's not typically considered generalization as it doesn't create broader categories - it's more about pseudonymization.
• C. Data suppression: This involves completely removing or masking sensitive data, which is a different anonymization technique (removal rather than generalization).

Generalization techniques are commonly used in data privacy and governance to balance data utility with privacy protection requirements.