Abstract: A method and apparatus for a distributed service provider system performing authentication for access to, and deletion of, user data, is described. The method may include monitoring service system responses to requests for user data associated with a user identifier. The method may further include ordering the monitored user data based on one or more of a sensitivity level and a veracity level associated with each of the monitored user data, and filtering out user data from the monitored user data that is not suitable for presenting to the user for identity verification. Furthermore, the method can include selecting a subset of the filtered user data for a series of identity verification questions for generating and transmitting, to the user system, a series of security verification questions, each security verification question based on one of the selected subset of the filtered user data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a distributed service provider augmenting user data during data access and deletion is described. The method may include monitoring a plurality of user data returned by service system responses to requests for user data associated with a user identifier. The method may further include building an additional user data search query using a subset of user data from the monitored plurality of user data returned by the service system responses to the initial requests for user data. Furthermore, the method can include executing the additional user data search query at each of the plurality of service systems to identify additional user data stored by one or more of the plurality of service systems, wherein the identified additional data is not associated with the user identifier.