In a world where everyone’s personally identifiable information (PII) is used seemingly everywhere, from doctor’s offices to online shopping, the need for effective security measures to prevent identity theft and fraud remains essential, especially for businesses. One of the ways professional organizations and corporations remain compliant and protect the personal information of their customers, patients, clients, and more is through a process called document redaction. However, before you can understand the process of redacting a document, you should know: what is a redacted document?
The simple business-dictionary definition of a redacted document is an “edited, modified, or revised document from which confidential or sensitive information has been removed.” If at any time an official document including government forms, medical and legal records, and other paperwork containing identifiable information must be distributed or published for any reason, it must be properly redacted to safeguard the interests of the individual whose information is being released. Examples of certain information that may be redacted include birthdays, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license and related number, financial files and documents, and more. There are a few ways to redact a document such as replacing sensitive information with the word “[REDACTED]” via the computer to indicate missing information or manually or electronically use blackened squares or lines to eliminate visibility of certain information, but the best and most preferred method used by most reputable organizations is to use professional tried-and-true software applications specifically designed for automatic redaction.
Industries that often manage vast amounts of personally identifiable information (PII), such as government organizations, medical and healthcare facilities, and legal service providers are required to utilize document redaction in order to adhere to the various laws and regulations, including HIPAA, that help businesses remain federally compliant. Not properly redacting important documents can have significant consequences that result in harm to both the customer or patient and the company whose mistake it was. Litigation and even total failure are not only possibilities for companies who refuse to accurately redact their documents, but also inevitable circumstances. When keeping personal or private information is essentially your business, do it right by choosing reliable document redaction software and services that meet your needs from reputable service providers you can trust.
No matter what industry you’re a part of, you need to know and understand the local and federal laws that can make or break your success, including those related to document redaction, management, retention, and more. Corrigan Record Storage offers countless information management services, meant to help protect what matter most to you. Please call 248.344.9185 or 1.800.944.7716, or complete the contact form in the sidebar to learn more about all of our convenient, secure and affordable services provided only by Corrigan Record Storage.
