Redacting Documents: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It

By Lauren Hilinski | April 28, 2017 | 7 minute read

Protecting confidential information is a critical component of document handling in our modern digital world. While protecting sensitive information related to your business and its clients is always necessary, the penalties for failing to do so are higher than ever. Redaction is an effective way of protecting confidentiality on personal or business documents when sharing them with third parties. However, it’s important to know you’re redacting the right information.

How To Know You’re Redacting Documents Properly

Redacting documents is an essential part of protecting client information in multiple industries. Medical, legal, financial, and educational are just four examples. Each industry regularly handles sensitive information, so it’s essential that the documents they handle ensure the privacy of their customer base using redaction.

• Legal Sector: It’s common for documents containing confidential information to be called on in a legal proceeding. Redacting information from these documents is essential to protect victims or witnesses and restrict access to sensitive case details. Proper redaction protects the privacy of the individuals involved. Without redaction, the information on these documents can compromise the judicial process. 
• Financial Sector: The financial industry handles numerous types of sensitive information, including account numbers. Credit card companies, banks, stock brokers, investors, and other individuals in the financial sector must protect their information to avoid its use in identity theft. Their reputations can be negatively affected if they don’t protect their information effectively.
• Medical Sector: In the medical industry, redacting documents is often necessary to maintain compliance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Insurance companies, hospitals, healthcare providers, pharmacies, and other entities in the medical field regularly handle confidential patient information. This can include documents outlining treatment plans, diagnoses, patient medical histories, etc. Redacting information on documents can protect confidential information while sharing necessary documents with other professionals.
• Educational Sector: Universities, grade schools, high schools, trade schools, and other educational organizations regularly handle sensitive information related to their students. FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) ensures that these institutions are responsible for maintaining students’ educational records securely and confidentially. Redaction can be used to maintain FERPA compliance and guarantee the confidentiality and security of the documents.

What Happens As a Result of Improperly Redacting Documents

Improperly redacting documents can cause significant consequences for your organization.

• Legal Penalties – Improperly redacting documents can result in non-compliance with HIPAA and FERPA requirements. The consequences of this can include lawsuits, fines, and legal action being taken against your organization.
• Compromised Reputation – When an organization allows confidential information to become exposed, it can compromise their reputation. This can complicate the process of gaining public trust and can lead to lost trust.
• Trust Loss – When confidential information isn’t properly protected, it can lead to business relationships becoming damaged and clients being lost. It can also impact relationships with the stakeholders in an organization, with many, many potential consequences.

Ensuring that documents are properly secured through redaction is important for multiple industries, including those listed above. Redacting documents helps protect confidential information and ensure compliance with certain regulations. Understanding how to properly conceal important information ensures you are meeting your obligations to your stakeholders and customers.

The Details of Document Redaction 

Document redaction refers to removing or hiding confidential information in a document before sharing it with other entities. This step ensures that you are in compliance with privacy laws and have properly protected individuals’ sensitive information. Which information needs to be redacted will vary based on the intended recipient, the document you’re redacting, and the context of the redaction.

Redacting birth dates, names, phone numbers, social security numbers, and addresses are just some contact information that may need to be removed. Financial institutions may need to remove financial account numbers, bank accounts, or other sensitive data related to their client’s accounts.

Many situations may call for documents to be redacted, including agency proceedings, administrative action, court orders, and public records. These represent just a few examples of when this may be necessary.

• Court Orders: Legal proceedings often require the submission of documents that require information to be redacted for the protection of those involved. Proper redaction protects the validity of court proceedings and the safety of the defendant and prosecution alike.
• Administrative Proceedings: Many agencies require that specific information be redacted prior to the documents being made available to the public. This ensures that those involved with the proceedings have their privacy protected.
• Agency Proceedings: These proceedings often require the redaction of sensitive information in order to remain in compliance with regulations governing privacy and security. 

Each of these situations requires that the redaction is performed according to the rules to prevent sensitive information from becoming compromised. Doing so helps avoid legal consequences, protects the privacy of the individuals and organizations involved, and maintains a reputation for trustworthiness.

9 Rules To Observe When Performing Redaction

1. Ensure you understand the rules in the court or civil proceedings for which the documents are prepared. This will allow you to redact appropriate information and ensure the privacy of those involved.
2. Ensure your methods for redacting documents are thorough, secure, and trusted. Digitized documents can be effectively redacted with no possibility of recovering the data without proper authorization. 
3. Using word processing programs for redaction is risky, as many maintain a revision history that permits viewing the hidden information. To guarantee sensitive information is truly removed, ensure the history isn’t available.
4. Once you complete the redaction process, be certain to go over the document again in detail to ensure you haven’t missed anything. Social security numbers, financial account numbers, phone numbers, etc.
5. Take steps to ensure that the information isn’t accessible via electronic means. Digitizing documents and using an effective document management system can help guarantee this information is truly removed and inaccessible.
6. Redacted documents should be stored in an encrypted location or protected by a password. This prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing the originals.
7. Create a standardized redaction method that those performing this process can follow. By using the same process every time, you can help reduce mistakes and missed redactions.
8. Ensure there is a reference document for the redacted information. This will ensure that these details remain organized and can quickly identify what’s been hidden.
9. Be certain to communicate with your stakeholders and other involved parties to help them understand why the documents have been redacted.
   

Why You Should Consider Redaction

Record Nations’ network of secure providers can help you set up any size project. They’ll be there from the first step of the process, see you through the review stage, establish task management protocols, and help you prepare for even the largest redaction projects.

As part of your project, our professionals can help you with:

• Document Scrubbing – They’ll take steps to eliminate any hidden information within your documents, such as metadata. They’ll also ensure your redactions are permanent.
• Cloud Based Cooperation – Your team can work closely with our professionals to help speed the redaction process through our cloud-based connection.
• AI Integration – Powerful AI tools can automatically detect sensitive data within your document and help you identify specific terms you want to ensure are removed.
• Redaction Certificates – Documents of redaction are generated as a standard part of the process and include the date of redaction and who was responsible for the document.

Experience The Confidence of Redaction With Record Nations

Properly redacting your documents is a critical part of maintaining your reputation for integrity and trustworthiness among your clientele and stakeholders. Understanding the rules associated with your redactions and executing them properly prevents the legal issues and privacy violations that could result from mistakes.

If you need to ensure that your redaction project happens quickly, reliably, and correctly, contact Record Nations’ today. We’ll help connect you with a team of professionals who will guarantee your redaction project is finished quickly and securely. Call (866) 385-3706 to schedule your first consultation or contact us through the form.

About the Author

A graduate of the University of Denver, Lauren provides a wealth of practical insights and actionable tips for enhancing safety and compliance.

Read More