FAQ's

Vaultless, keyless tokenization replaces sensitive data with irreversible tokens in real time without storing the original data or managing encryption keys, reducing breach risk and compliance scope while supporting high-speed transactions.

No. Vaultless tokenization does not mean data never exists.

It means sensitive values are not persistently retained by the tokenization service. Sensitive data is processed ephemerally for the purpose of tokenization or detokenization, then returned to authorized systems under policy controls.

This approach aligns with data minimization principles rather than attempting to eliminate all data.

Vaultless tokenization complements your current encryption strategy. Encryption protects data at rest and in transit through keys, while Rixon adds a stateless, keyless tokenization layer that replaces sensitive values with irreversible tokens. These tokens can preserve the original format for compatibility and system continuity.
Because Rixon does not store original values or mappings, there is no vault to maintain or secure.

This reduces the impact of key theft, simplifies compliance, and limits where sensitive data exists in your environment. Organizations often keep their existing encryption provider while adding Rixon to protect mobile payments, API traffic, and high-volume transaction workflows without disrupting current infrastructure.

Common use cases include mobile wallet transactions, cross-border QR payment routing, and analytics pipelines where sensitive data cannot be stored.

Encryption alone still requires key management and often keeps systems in scope for PCI DSS if encrypted data can be decrypted elsewhere. Vaultless tokenization replaces sensitive fields with tokens that cannot be reversed without authorized access through Rixon’s controlled environment.

This approach reduces where sensitive data is stored and processed, supports data residency requirements, and improves security for cross-border or multi-region payment systems. Many organizations layer tokenization on top of encryption to strengthen protection and simplify audits.

This is particularly valuable for payment orchestrators, neobanks, and merchants that rely on third-party processors or multiple payment service providers.

No. Encryption is designed to be reversible when the correct key is available, which includes methods such as Format-Preserving Encryption. FPE keeps the original format but can always be decrypted if the key is obtained, which means the underlying data still exists and may remain in compliance scope.

Rixon does not use FPE or any reversible encryption method to generate tokens. True vaultless tokenization produces tokens that cannot be mathematically reversed outside of the controlled detokenization process, and there are no stored mappings or vault lookups. This removes the need for key rotation schedules, reduces the risk associated with key compromise, and allows sensitive data to be removed from systems more effectively.

This distinction is important for compliance and security assessments. By eliminating stored originals and reversible encryption paths, vaultless tokenization supports stronger data minimization and simplifies regulatory obligations.

No. Rixon is not an encryption or format preserving encryption solution.

Encryption and FPE are designed to protect data while keeping it recoverable using keys. Rixon replaces sensitive values with tokens that have no mathematical relationship to the original data and cannot be reversed without explicit authorization.

Rixon complements encryption. Encryption remains appropriate for files, documents, and unstructured data. Tokenization is most effective for structured and relational identifiers such as payment data and PII.

The primary difference is data storage and risk concentration.

Vaulted tokenization stores original sensitive values or token mappings in a centralized repository. That repository becomes a high-value target and introduces ongoing custody, access, and compliance risk.

Vaultless tokenization avoids creating a persistent vault. Sensitive values are processed in memory and not stored long-term by the service provider. Tokens are returned to and stored within the customer’s environment, reducing centralized risk and simplifying governance.

Vault-based systems store mappings between original data and tokens, which can create a central point of risk and increase infrastructure and maintenance requirements. Rixon does not store originals or mappings and does not require a vault.

This design supports faster processing, easier scaling, and simpler compliance. Organizations often adopt vaultless tokenization to reduce operational overhead and improve security posture. 

Rixon’s vaultless, keyless tokenization is not encryption or format-preserving encryption (FPE), and does not rely on stored vaults, additional hardware, or encryption keys.

Not all vaultless implementations are the same.

Rixon’s approach is differentiated by several design choices:

• No persistent storage of sensitive values or token mappings
• No hardware security modules or dedicated appliances required
• No encryption key custody model
• No customer data stored by Rixon
• Cloud-native, API-driven deployment
• Policy-based detokenization with geofencing and access controls

Some solutions described as “vaultless” still store lookup data, encrypted identifiers, or rely on managed key infrastructure. Rixon is designed to avoid those dependencies.

Detokenization requires authorization and can be restricted by role, location, region, device, or time. Attempts that do not meet defined policies are blocked and logged.

This approach limits insider and external risks when sensitive data must be accessed and allows organizations to apply strict governance controls. It supports environments where selective access to sensitive information is required.

Keyless tokenization means the system does not rely on traditional encryption keys to protect or retrieve sensitive values.

Rixon does not require customers to manage encryption keys, rotate keys, escrow keys, or trust a third party with key custody. This removes an entire class of operational and security risk associated with key compromise, misconfiguration, or loss.

Keyless does not mean unsecured. Security is enforced through controlled tokenization logic, authenticated access, and policy-based detokenization.

Yes, when designed correctly.

Rixon uses encrypted transport, secure execution environments, strict access controls, and policy enforcement. Sensitive values are processed ephemerally and are not stored persistently.

Security is achieved through minimizing data exposure, restricting access, and enforcing policy rather than relying solely on long-term key protection.

Rixon uses AI and machine learning to monitor detokenization activity in real time. The system analyzes access patterns, frequency, and context to identify unusual or high-risk behavior. If suspicious activity is detected, detokenization requests can be blocked automatically, and alerts can be sent to security teams or integrated tools.

This proactive monitoring helps identify fraud attempts, automated attacks, or unauthorized access before sensitive data is exposed. The approach strengthens security without creating operational friction for legitimate use.

Most breach damage, fraud, and regulatory penalties stem from sensitive structured data stored at rest.

By minimizing how much sensitive data exists in the first place, organizations can reduce breach impact, limit fraud enablement, and simplify compliance across multiple frameworks.

This principle is the foundation of Rixon’s Zero Data Design.

Traditional security models rely heavily on encryption and centralized vaults to protect stored sensitive data. While encryption remains an important control, encrypted data at rest still exists and can expand breach exposure, compliance scope, and operational risk.

Rixon’s Zero Data Design complements encryption by reducing the amount of sensitive, structured data that must be stored or protected. Sensitive data elements are tokenized immediately using a vaultless, keyless process, processing components remain stateless, and original values are not persisted within the platform. This limits where encryption is required and reduces the presence of sensitive data across systems.

By removing sensitive data from storage entirely, Zero Data Design reduces PCI and privacy compliance scope, limits breach impact, and lowers long term data risk. This model shifts security from relying solely on protecting stored data to eliminating the need to store it wherever possible.

Rixon does not perform transaction-level fraud detection or make payment authorization decisions. It does not replace fraud scoring engines, issuer controls, or network-based fraud systems.

Rixon reduces fraud enablement and post-breach risk by minimizing stored sensitive data and monitoring how tokenized data is accessed and used. At the data and operational layer, Rixon observes tokenization and detokenization activity and can surface anomalous patterns that may indicate misuse, credential compromise, or breach-related behavior. These signals can be forwarded to security and risk teams to support investigation and response, without exposing sensitive data.

This allows organizations to contain fraud and identity theft risk when other controls fail, while enabling safer cross-channel analysis using tokens rather than raw identifiers.