Iterated local search for microaggregation

• Our paper presents a microaggregation method to prevent disclosure of sensitive data.
• We define a local search method that monotonically improves solution quality while preserving feasibility.
• We employ local search in an iterated local search heuristic.
• Our method consistently identifies better quality solutions than all extant methods on benchmark problems.

Microaggregation is a disclosure control method used to protect microdata. We introduce a local search method and employ it in an iterated local search algorithm for the NP-hard minimum information loss microaggregation problem. Experimental results with benchmark data sets demonstrate that our algorithm consistently identifies better quality solutions than extant microaggregation methods.