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Participant
February 18, 2022
Question

Is removing sensiting content a sure way to truly remove a content?

  • February 18, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 1061 views

Hi, I need to remove a content from a pdf file that was gererated by external system (meaning I have no access to oroginal file as such was never created) and need to be 100% sure that text is really remover that one can get it back with help of somne other programs. Is the tool remove sensitive content a secure way to achive this?

I have got advice to remover sensitive content, then print and scan it again to be sure. Is this necessary?

 

Thanksful for guidance, 

Dagmara

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4 replies

JR Boulay
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 19, 2022

"I wonder if it is removed so that no one can retrieve it on some other software?"

Try to search in the document with another software, even with a text editor…

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
JR Boulay
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 18, 2022

You must use the Redact tool to remove visible content (texts, images…) and you must use the Remove Sensitive Content tool to remove hidden informations (metadata, hidden texts,…).

 

It works really well, but if you really want to be sure, reopen the PDF after cleaning it and use the search function to look for what you deleted: you should not find anything.

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Participant
February 18, 2022

Hi, thanks for your answer. Yes, I have controlled on my sofrware (Adobe Acrobat Pro DC) and the content was removed. But I wonder if it is removed so that no one can retrieve it on some other software?

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 18, 2022

 If done correctly, then no, it can't be retrieved.

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 18, 2022

Use the Redaction Tool of Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Legend
February 18, 2022

The tool "Redact" is designed to do this securely. I do not see a tool "remove sensitive content". Be careful to learn how to use it properly: you have to do a two stage process. Stopping after stage 1 is not secure.

Participant
February 18, 2022

Hi, yes, I have done this process  as a two stage process. Sorry if I am using weired names for tools maybe but as I have a swedish Windows installed on my computer, so even the menu is swedish.  I have read on some forum and controlled how the menu is called. Anyway, the fisrt stage is a tool selectable from a menu (selecting text and images for permanent removal) that si placed to the right from sign tool that looks like fountain pen. The second stage comes as a message urging to remjove the meta data. 

Do you mean that going through such a two stage process means that data once removed cannot be retrieved again by some other software?