Identifying Sensitive Documents

The term “sensitive documents” refers to any data that a company would not want unauthorized individuals to see. These documents could be damaging to the business should they be leaked to rivals, or detrimental to individuals if they were made available to the public. The information could range from a company’s pre-release earnings statements that end up in the hands of a competitor to confidential research and design documents that are shared with wrong people.

It’s difficult to recognize sensitive data in your company. The information you collect must be stored in accordance with the regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Personal data can be found in many forms. It could be from contractors, call centers and financial institutions or credit card companies and other financial institutions. It is important to keep track of all your files, folders and mobile devices as well as home computers and laptops to ensure you know what information is stored in your business.

It’s important to be aware that any file you create could contain hidden meta-data that can reveal confidential data. This includes the use of geotagging on photographs, and embedded information in modern formats for files. It is recommended to remove all hidden data from your files prior to when they are released to the public. This will prevent unauthorized data room providers individuals from accessing your confidential information by making it look like it was sourced from an inside source.