Edinburgh Napier University

  This application is for a method of data management to identify confidential digital content on a database by first receiving a management request 302 from a system 304 to carry out data management operations. These include the identification of data elements. The system includes a representation database 308, which has at least one secure element 310 on it. The secure element is a representation of a digital set 312 that contains confidential digital content stored in at least one database 314 or operated by a third party 316. The management request is then processed by performing at least one operation on the representation database. The management request may include merging one or more elements with the representation database, processing a search request, or updating the representation database. The processing result is then provided 318. A secure element may be added or merged by performing a bitwise logical OR operating with another secure element in the representation database.