In my first article on this series focused on metadata I reviewed a basic definition on metadata and shared some resources to learn more, now let’s review some of the challenges metadata creates.
The electronic document format introduces a few challenges with removing metadata and we see the same common mistakes occur over and over again when it comes to removing metadata. For example:
Metadata and Document Properties: In addition to the visible content of a document, most Microsoft Office documents contain hidden information. This information is often confidential and can lead to embarrassment for an organization, and to lost clients and lawsuits. Without a proper metadata removal application it can be quite challenging to remove all of the document metadata.
Redaction of Text and Images: The most common mistake is covering text, charts, tables, or diagrams with black graphics, or highlighting text in black, in an attempt to redact information. While effective on printed materials, this technique does not work for electronic documents. Quite often the cover up can be removed to reveal the text underneath. Below is an example of a PDF with improperly redacted information. The recipient of the Portable Document Format (PDF) version is able to copy and paste the information into Microsoft Word and view the text that was underneath the black graphic.
Comments and Tracked Changes: A Microsoft Word user can also be at risk when converting a Word document to a PDF version. Quite often individuals will convert a Word document to PDF in order to eliminate comments and tracked changes. However, if these changes are displayed in the Word document when the PDF is created, the changes will also appear in the resulting PDF file. Similarly, if the ‘Print Hidden Text’ option is selected in Word, hidden text will appear when a PDF file is created.
In my next post we will review the regulatory challenges and the increased risks to organizations.