8.7Masking Tools

Tool	Type	Best For
pg_anonymize	PostgreSQL extension	Simple rules-based masking
Delphix	Enterprise platform	Large-scale, automated masking
DataMasker	Commercial tool	SQL Server and Oracle
Faker (Python/JS)	Library	Generating fake data for test environments
Custom scripts	DIY	Full control over masking logic

Simple Masking with Faker

from faker import Faker

fake = Faker()

def mask_users_table(source_conn, target_conn):
    source = source_conn.cursor()
    target = target_conn.cursor()

    source.execute("SELECT id, name, email, phone FROM users")
    for row in source.fetchall():
        target.execute(
            "INSERT INTO users (id, name, email, phone) VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s)",
            (row[0], fake.name(), fake.email(), fake.phone_number())
        )
    target_conn.commit()