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.