Redaction: The Superior way to Protect your Information

June 27, 2024 | 5 minutes read

What is Redaction?

As we move further into the digital age, the amount of sensitive information stored and shared electronically continues to grow. From medical records to financial information, maintaining your privacy is key in a world where data travels at the speed of light. Therefore, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access is paramount for both the well-being of the institution storing it and the safety of the person whose information is at stake. While regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) exist to ensure that this information stays confidential, the only way to guarantee this protection is through Redaction.

Redaction is the process of censoring and concealing classified data, such as personal and financial information, to ensure that it does not include anything identifying or confidential that needs to be protected from the public. This often includes Personal Identifiable Information (PII), like names and faces, which can be redacted from documents, video, or audio files to ensure confidentiality.

Industries in Redaction

For industries involved in accessing and distributing classified information, the slightest breach of confidentiality could have severe consequences, ranging from lawsuits to personal danger. Managing private data with no way to protect it from public eyes is a nightmare, but redaction offers peace of mind.

Redaction differs based on the industry. While there’s no standard for privacy, the type of PII that each trade deals with is different and has to be handled accordingly. Whatever the PII may be, redaction is the solution. Knowing the potential risks can save time and worry.

Redaction For Police

Law Enforcement officers, like police, handle sensitive information every day, ranging from body-worn camera footage to victim testimonies. This information is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, which allows any public member to access it upon request. If these files don’t receive proper redaction before public release, or before being presented in court, the organizations in charge may face strict legal consequences while also endangering people involved.

Body-worn cameras may compromise the privacy of civilians and on-duty officers, while unredacted testimonies can endanger those involved. Censoring these files before release is essential, but also tedious and time-consuming. Secure and reliable software that uses AI to redact any identifying information automatically and can auto-create exemption logs helps save time and resources.

Redaction For The Medical Industry

Redaction is especially crucial in the medical field where leaked patient privacy has great consequences. When sharing Protected Health Information (PHI) with third parties, HIPAA requires redaction to the point that any individual’s identifying information is unreadable. This means that names, addresses, Social Security Numbers (SSNs), and any other patient information needs permanent erasing before disbursement to third parties.

When research organizations contact hospitals looking for assistance in their studies, redaction helps for a smooth transition between hospital and third party by concealing any data in files that could lead to the wrong person seeing someone’s medical history. Redaction helps ease your mind in situations like this by leaving no trace of PHI.

Redaction For The Financial Industry

Under the regulations set forth by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), financial institutions must protect customers’ nonpublic personal information (NPI) from unauthorized access or disclosure. This mandates institutions to have strict privacy policies that instill customer trust. Utilizing document redaction to conceal Personal Identifiable Information (PII) can help manage risk assessment and prevent the impact of data breaches.

For example, institutions such as banks store lucrative information that is always at risk of data breaches. With the help of a reliable redaction solution, neither the institutions nor customers need to be concerned about private information such as SSNs or Taxpayer IDs leaking. Redacting sensitive information under GLBA requirements helps reassure customers that their personal and financial data is secure and treated with care.

Redaction For The Education Industry

FERPA, or Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law in the United States that protects the privacy of student records. Parents may freely access their child’s school records; however, any information regarding other students must be redacted. Protecting the privacy of any student is essential, meaning proper redaction measures are crucial before releasing any document or video.

Schools also have cameras all over the place, using them to promote and ensure the safety of their students. This, along with the files kept through the bursar, allows for a situation that exposes personal information on students. Finding the proper way to censor these files is pertinent when it comes to student safety.

In the case of a serious incident involving multiple students, the administration must have redaction software ready to conceal student information from files that may contain grades, disciplinary actions, or medical history. This information can be subject to disclosure to the parents of the students involved; however, it can only be done when the administration is 100% confident that their redactions are performed properly and timely.

What is the Best Redaction Solution?

Redaction may seem like a tedious job that requires a lot of time and attention, however, technology has made it possible for top-notch redaction solutions to exist that make data-concealing quick and easy. CaseGuard is an American company with an AI-powered redaction solution, designed to simplify the redaction process for professionals across any industry. You can download CaseGuard Studio on your computer or laptop, allowing you to perform redactions at your work desk or from the comfort of your home.

CaseGuard offers redaction capabilities that can remove personal information from emails, resumes, or medical documents, as well as blur faces and license plates from shaky videos, all with just a couple of clicks. CaseGuard can identify all of these factors instantly, making it so that you don’t have to go through and identify every bit of PII yourself. For larger redaction needs, CaseGuard offers AI and bulk redaction software that can redact thousands of files at once. This saves you time and resources by making redaction a breeze. CaseGuard Studio stands out because of its superior capability of handling any file whether it be documents, videos, audio, or pictures. Whatever the redaction needs may be, CaseGuard Studio has the solution.

For a better idea of what CaseGuard can do, check out the video below.