For data security, timing is everything.

A mistake, such as revealing the wrong information to the wrong party at the wrong time, can lead to deal-jeopardizing delays, reduced valuation, or even privacy breaches. These breaches can result in fines, litigation, and reputational damage.

When sharing sensitive information, it’s crucial to have the right tools and knowledge to control the flow of data. This includes managing the information within documents and the physical files themselves. Redaction, the process of removing sensitive content, is a key method to ensure data security. However, improper redaction can leave organizations and their clients exposed.

This article explores common digital redaction techniques and offers best practices to protect sensitive information, improve turnaround times, and reduce costs.

Typical Redaction Methods

1. Print, Manual Markup, and Scan:
   This method involves printing documents, marking them up by hand, and rescanning the redacted copies. While straightforward, it’s slow, costly, and prone to errors. Proofreading is also time-consuming, as it requires manually scanning hundreds of passages for sensitive information.
2. Improvised Solutions:
   Teams often use a mix of digital tools, such as email and third-party apps, for redaction. These disorganized methods can lead to confusion, delays, and errors, such as sending improperly redacted files to the wrong recipients.
3. Masking Solutions:
   Some teams use online tools to mask content with annotations or highlights. However, if the document isn’t properly flattened into a static format, sensitive information can still be extracted. High-profile redaction failures, such as those involving Paul Manafort and the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, highlight the risks of improper masking.

Redaction the Right Way

To protect sensitive information while maintaining the benefits of interactive file formats, many teams use PDF for redaction. PDFs support interactive text, annotations, and the entire redaction workflow, including proofreading, markup, and final content removal.

PDFTron and SS&C Intralinks Partnership

To address common redaction challenges, Intralinks partnered with PDFTron, a leading provider of document technology solutions. This collaboration embeds professional web-based redaction directly into Intralinks’ virtual data rooms (VDRs), streamlining workflows and reducing errors.

Key features include:

• Automated Detection: Advanced search algorithms detect sensitive keywords and patterns, such as phone numbers and social security numbers.
• Regular Expression Searches: Users can easily remove repeated patterns without needing technical expertise.
• Instant Unredact: Users can quickly reveal previously redacted content if needed, without redoing the entire process.

The Future of Redaction

Intralinks and PDFTron continue to refine their redaction technology, adding features to make the process faster and more secure. If you have redaction tips or stories to share, the team welcomes your input.