How Document Management Systems are Leveraging Automated Redaction

By Alisa Fetic

Gone are the days when businesses and other organizations stored large quantities of information in folders and archives. Today, handling large quantities of information almost inevitably involves computer systems and software applications.

As a result, document handling has become safer and more convenient, both in terms of storage and access. However, privacy, confidentiality, and data protection remain among the leading concerns for document management systems. Leading systems are now leveraging automated redaction, allowing them to deliver improved customer experiences that address privacy concerns.

What are Document Management Systems?

Document management is the process an organization uses to store, keep track of, and manage information. A few years ago, any mention of managing and storing documents would conjure up images of folders thick with papers being kept in archives, often located in the basements of office buildings. If archive space ran out, companies may decide to move documents off their premises to separate storage facilities for safekeeping and future reference.

Over the past decade or so, much of this process has moved online with computer systems holding vast quantities of information. Those systems are known as document management systems (DMS), and they can more than simply store data. Computer-based systems make it easier to search for specific information within the stored data and reuse information as necessary.

Through a DMS, documents can be shared easily between departments, keeping the information more accessible and usable than a hard-copy archive would. Depending on the type of information an organization produces, implementing a computer-based document management strategy may require some preparation. For example, if a business creates mostly paper-based hard-copy documents, a significant amount of scanning may be necessary when a computer-based system is introduced.

According to the Association for Intelligent Information Management, there is even a definition and an ISO regulation for what constitutes a document. ISO 12651-2 states that, in this context, the term document refers to recorded information or an object that can be distributed as a unit. In practice, that could be a project plan, a white paper, or a file holding a company’s annual budget information.

As more organizations are moving toward increased use of digital technology, the need for scanning hard copies will diminish. Instead, most data will be created, handled, and stored digitally for its entire lifespan. Content will be created and captured digitally right from the start, with entire company workflows, document repositories, and information retrieval systems based online.

Applications and Uses of Document Management

If that all sounds a bit abstract, looking at key features and benefits of document management will help bring the topic to life a bit more.

Document management systems coordinate smart collaboration. These systems make it possible for a team of people to access a document simultaneously whilst only one person can edit it. This is a critical function for protecting the work of individual contributors and avoiding situations where one person’s changes cancel out another’s.

DMS also support version control, allowing contributors to move between older and newer versions. This can be critical when a newer version turns out to display unexpected problems. Through intelligent technology, document management systems not only allow their users to shuttle between versions of a document. In addition, they also track changes, allowing engineers and users to identify the source of a problem, when necessary.

In short, document management systems provide a more intelligent and flexible approach to information storage and retrieval.

Why is Redaction Necessary?

As more organizations have moved more of their operations online, data and documents have become exposed to new risks. Previously, data stored in archives and warehouses were exposed to risks like fire, flooding, or physical theft. When stored in computer-based systems, documents are protected from those threats.

As a result, using document management systems has increased the safety of information. But it has also introduced additional concerns. Few computer systems are “unhackable,” which means there is always a risk of a breach and information falling in the wrong hands. This risk is further increased by the DMS’ ability to facilitate collaboration.

When more people are able to access a document, there is – theoretically - more potential for unauthorized access. Redaction is one of the most effective ways of limiting the consequences of these potential breaches.

Redacting information means removing it from a document or rendering it illegible. Even if you have never encountered redaction in your professional life, we can almost guarantee that you have seen redacted documents in movies. Just think of those scenes when a protagonist finally gets their hands on a coveted file only to see that major parts of the information have been covered in thick, black ink. That is the result of redaction.

But back to the real world and data protection. Redaction remains among the leading concerns for data protection professionals. Done well, redaction allows organizations to share information with larger audiences without worrying about critical, sensitive details falling into the wrong hands.

What Kind of Information Needs to be Protected?

Which types of information need to be redacted from a document depends on the nature of the document and the details contained in it.

In some cases, redaction protects proprietary technology or sensitive contractual details. The latter was the case in a high-profile redaction failure relatively recently when the European Union inadvertently disclosed more details of its contract with vaccine maker AstraZeneca than initially intended.

Another application of redaction relates to the personal details of individuals such as medical histories or other personal information. Even if unwanted disclosures of these privileged details seem harmless at the time, they can lead to serious consequences if the information falls into the wrong hands. Medical histories, for example, may predispose a person to discrimination by a prospective employer or an insurance company.

Financial information, such as bank details, is another type of information that regularly needs to be redacted from documents. Whilst most of us have become used to sharing financial information such as credit card details online, we also know that this information is vulnerable to abuse.

Redaction serves as a solid layer of protection for personal data. By removing or covering privileged data, documents can be shared within an organization or even with a third party without causing unwanted harm.

How does Automated Redaction Work?

Traditional redaction worked much as you would imagine from movie scenes. A person with a redaction pen would go through the document in question and redact or remove any sensitive parts from that document. Once completed, the document could be scanned, stored, or shared without concern.

With paper documents, the traditional redaction process was not only a painstaking and time-consuming exercise. The process also left room for mistakes and omissions. With more complex documents, like the EU’s contract with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, additional problems were added. In that case, the EU’s redactor missed the document’s bookmarks tab and shared information that effectively constituted a breach of contract.

As redaction is being applied to more and more digital documents, similar problems are likely to increase using traditional methods. Automating redaction can help solve each of the issues above with the help of algorithms. By defining the type of content that needs to be redacted in this manner, organizations save time and minimize the potential for human error.

In systems like iDox.ai, the algorithm identifies sensitive information and removes it from relevant documents quickly and efficiently.

How Can your Business Benefit from Automated Redaction?

Every business around the world needs to protect sensitive information. Whether your company holds proprietary technology or stores large volumes of customer data, protecting this information and preventing unauthorized access is critical. Leaving this sensitive task to a human redaction team is not always the best solution.

Your business can benefit from automated redaction by:

• Reliably protecting sensitive information from prying eyes: in many cases, algorithms are simply better at completing repetitive, pain-staking tasks than humans are. Once automated redaction has been set up correctly, the complexity of the document does not influence the process. The software simply covers the entire document, bookmarks, content tabs, annotations, and all. The algorithm does not become distracted or bored but simply continues to crunch data until it has completed the task.
• Instantly ‘sanitizing’ documents automatically. Sometimes, organizations need to share documents whilst still protecting certain elements of the document in question. Algorithms redact those elements fast, saving your team and your organization time and costs associated with manual redacting.
• Maintaining the quality of work without compromising data safety: depending on your industry, your documents likely contain data that only a handful of people need access to. Automated redaction allows you to protect sensitive parts of a document without limiting collaboration.

Final Thoughts

Implementing an automated redaction system or API helps improve the data protection and privacy elements of your organization’s document management systems. Leveraging automation in this way not only prevents data breaches and dangerous leaks but also helps save staff time and costs.

To learn more about the benefits of automated redaction for your business, contact our team today to schedule a demo.