Suppose you post a tax document online with a black marker covering up your Social Security number and think you have made yourself safe. You may raise an eyebrow at the fact that, with a couple of clicks, the rest of the world would still know what is being hidden. This is due to the fact that a major percentage of people fail to differentiate text coverage and text removal.
In the digital world, redaction is not a black rectangle in the problem data; it is the disappearance of the sensitive information. Be it a salesperson sending invoices or a teacher making student reports, knowing how to properly mark out redaction data will prevent irritating data spills that can lead to legal and financial damage.
The Hazard of False Security
The problem? Most of the more popular redaction techniques provide their users with a false sense of security. Placing a solid black coloured shape over text in a PDF editor does not provide protection against highlighting, copying, or extraction of that data through basic PDF readers and even text editors. Indeed, researchers at the University of Illinois recently showed that redacted texts are totally retrievable based on the most hidden digital footprints. Their way of finding the information is known as Edact-Ray, and it managed to find the hidden data in the so-called ‘redacted files.’ In other words, if the information is not removed within the code of the file, it stays susceptible to discovery.
What to Do to Redact Properly
Redaction is not obscuring; true redaction means removing. The most effective methods don’t merely obscure the text, but erase it entirely from the file, including concealed metadata that may show the name, time stamp, and/or revision history. Significant characteristics of a quality redaction tool are:
- Marked content is deleted permanently
- Metadata scrubbing
- The flattening of the layer or exporting of a clean file
- Searchable redaction (to locate all the terms that should be censored)
- A review section to check what has been deleted
For those who need a reliable and secure solution, PDFized offers an automated, online PDF redaction tool designed to meet modern compliance and security needs. The best tools are usually customized for HELO secure document handling. The following is a review of the best available today.
Tools You Can Trust
- Adobe Pro. Perhaps the gold standard in PDF redaction, Adobe offers a tool that will allow you to search sensitive words, apply redaction marks, clean out metadata and save under a new name. It is high-quality and high end, which explains the premium pricing.
- Xodo. Being a sleek and secure web tool, Xodo enables redactions through your browser. It is locally run; no information will move out of your device. The censored material is permanently deleted, and the interface is also easy even for an amateur.
- Smallpdf. Perfect in case of one-time use, Smallpdf has a drag-and-drop free redaction feature. You edit the text and then add the blackout and download a revised copy that has content removed.
- PDF-XChange Editor. The lightweight tool is Windows-based, and it provides redaction as well as OCR and metadata cleaning. It suits people who desire control and do not want to pay a monthly fee.
Remember Hidden Metadata and Document Properties
Your redaction of visible content may not be enough because you may still be revealing personal information in the metadata. This covers details such as the author of a document, its modification times, location data in photos, or previous folder versions within a PDF.
The most appropriate redaction tools provide a ‘sanitize’ or ‘remove’ metadata option. This should always be used after redacting and doing a final check on document properties before sending files.
The Daily Handbook to PDF Redacting
- Step 1: Back up the original. You need to make a copy of the original document before you proceed to redact. That way, in case something malfunctions, you will still be able to get raw information.
- Step 2: Use a specific redaction software. Utilize a secure application such as Adobe Acrobat Pro, Xodo, or Smallpdf to access the document. Indicate all the text or areas that require redaction. Try to make use of the search functionality to locate sensitive information such as phone numbers, emails, or names.
- Step 3: Redact and sanitize. When you have selected all, apply the redactions. Go to the menu options and look for the option where you can find options like “Remove Hidden Information” or “Sanitize Document”.
- Step 4: Export and check. Save the redacted copy (with a new name). Use it in other PDF viewers and see whether it preserves any data by trying to search it or copy it in redacted areas.
- Step 5: Remove interim files. When you are certain you have enough copies, you can go ahead and delete the partial and temporary copies lest they accidentally leak.
In Real Life: What Could Go Wrong
Some well-publicized redaction mistakes are instructive:
- In 2019, a large law firm carelessly exposed the identity of the client through the use of black highlights on the court papers as an alternative to proper erasure.
- There was an online budget PDF published by a local municipality in which salaries had been ‘redacted’ (but a copy-paste could be performed).
- Even reporters have become victims-uploading documents with names that are obscured, but can be searched.
These examples indicate why one should not just cover the text and leave it at that. When you plan to publish documents to the general population, redaction is your obligation.
Redaction Should Now Be Considerably Easier!
Redaction might seem a specialized topic, but it is rapidly becoming common and easier to understand. Whether you want to email a personal document, share something with your local group, or package files to send to the boss, smart redaction may be the difference between shielding yourself and others against harm.
With your data potentially being sold off, stolen, or otherwise mishandled with a single error, learning how to redact a PDF in a safe and secure manner is a skill that can take you to the next level of ensuring your digital security. Don’t make a black box your only line of defence. It is important to ensure that once information is out of sight, it is also out of mind.