Metadata Removal

What is Metadata Removal?

Remove metadata to prevent data breaches with Metadata Removal

Metadata is a data protection risk that most people don't know about. The most important thing to know is that this can cause inadvertent leaks and compliance violations. And without metadata management, all emails sent could be at risk of severe financial penalties and professional damages under new laws and regulations.

Every document contains metadata.  Metadata Removal metadata tells the reader more than what is typed into the page. It can tell the reader who created the document, how long it was edited, and where the document was saved.  Metadata Removal metadata that provides clues about a person's identity should be kept secure. Exposing this type of information can do more than damage a reputation, it can lead to significant fines under new global regulations like GDPR. To comply with strict data protection regulations, organizations must clean up metadata from shared files and email attachments so that they become as secure as information printed on a piece of paper.

These six types of dangerous metadata could be putting you at risk

Hidden or poorly worded text, such as white text on a white background, is easily found

Embedded objects, as part of an Excel worksheet, can be exposed by simply double-clicking

Author tracking data can inadvertently expose someone's identity and violate their privacy

Comments and tracking changes to a document can expose information that was never intended to become public

Email addresses and phone numbers in custom defined fields can be highly personal data

The names of authors, contributors, and computers can reveal someone's identity and constitute a violation

A Visual Guide to Dangerous Metadata with Metadata Removal

Individually, metadata may seem harmless, but when put together, it can be incredibly damaging. Learn about the risks of metadata when documents are emailed or sent to the Internet and prevent serious damage to your business.

How does metadata management prevent data breaches?

Metadata Removal metadata is often leaked through file-sharing behavior, such as uploading a document to the cloud or sending an attachment via email. Metadata management doesn't have to change the way you work through email, but it can ensure that harmful information is wiped from a file before it leaves your organization. The market is full of email security products, but they only protect you after you send the email, which is usually too late. Email users need a solution that is presented before the email has a chance to leave the Outbox if they want to be fully protected from metadata leaks.

The most comprehensive metadata management solution is an email add-in that prompts users to clear metadata attachments before they click Send. The addition of metadata management at this point offers an extra line of defense against human error – the leading cause of data breaches worldwide – and forgetfulness.

Metadata cleaners can remove more than 100 types of metadata from Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and PDF/A documents with no downtime for users. Use a metadata cleaner to remove invisible information, convert spreadsheets to PDF to remove hidden cells or tabs but keep the displayed data intact, or add a password for additional security.

System Requirements

Microsoft Windows Server, 2019, 2016, 2012 R2, 2012, or 2008 R2;

Microsoft Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 SP1 (32-bit or 64-bit)

Microsoft Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013 and 2010 (32-bit or 64-bit);

Office 365

Microsoft Office 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010 (32-bit or 64-bit)

Single or multicore CPU

2GB minimum RAM

2GB Free Disk Space