Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for protecting a database against deduction of confidential attribute values therein. A memory 160 is provided for storing the database and a processor 155 is provided for processing the database. Using the processor, the database is electronically partitioning into public attributes, containing nonconfidential attribute values, and private attributes, containing private attribute values. The processor is then used to electronically process the private attribute values to reduce any high correlation between public attribute values and private attribute values. Specifically, the processor can partition the database into safe tuples and unsafe tuples, which unsafe tuples have highly correlative public attribute values. The processor can then selectively combine the public attribute values of the tuples to camouflage such tuples from deduction of their private attribute values beyond a threshold level of uncertainty or remove such tuples from the database.

Abstract: Communication among entities such as customer premises equipment (20, 22, 28) in a telecommunications network (10) is set up through the use of agents representing each entity (20, 22, 28). Agents representing corresponding entities in the telecommunications network (10) negotiate over the type of communication sessions in which the corresponding entities want to be involved. The negotiation process involves the exchange of proposals by agents. A proposal comprises one or more planned actions which can be taken in the network (10). One agent generates a proposal acceptable to it and transmits the proposal to another agent. The receiving agent determines if the received proposal is acceptable to it and if not generates a counterproposal. The process continues until a proposal acceptable to both agents is found or it is determined that there is no proposal for realizing the particular type of communication session which is acceptable to both agents.