SECURITY Anonymization of Electronic Documents – What Data Protection Really Looks Like

In the digital era, everything happens faster – we send documents by email, store them in the cloud, edit them online, and share them in real time. And while this is convenient, it also carries very real risks – because these documents often contain personal data. And personal data, even a single name and surname, is strictly protected under GDPR.

In theory, we all know that data needs to be secured. In practice? Many people still rely on manual and unreliable anonymization methods, such as blacking out text with a marker or hiding it in Word. They distrust automated tools and want to keep everything under their own control. The result? Wasted time and unnecessary risk.
In this article, we will show:

• what anonymization is and how it works,
• why manual data removal is a bad idea,
• what effective, GDPR-compliant anonymization looks like in real-life cases,
• how the Redact tool helps in all of this.

It is the process of permanently removing personal data from a document. Permanently – meaning it cannot be recovered. After anonymization, a document no longer contains information that could identify a specific person.

This is not the same as pseudonymization, where data is, for example, encoded and can be “decoded” with a key. With anonymization, the data is simply gone for good. Thanks to this, such a document no longer falls under GDPR.

Many people still trust manual methods: blacking out text, hiding it, or physically destroying data. But these are exactly the methods that most often fail. Here are just a few real-life examples:

Example 1: A marker isn’t enough

An employee at a law firm prints a lawsuit, blacks out personal data with a marker, scans it, and sends it. On screen it looks fine, but by increasing contrast or zooming in, you can see the name, surname, PESEL number, and other “blacked-out” data.

Example 2: Hiding text in Word

Instead of deleting data, someone “cleverly” hides it – for example, by changing the font color to white to blend with the background, or by placing a black box over white text. The result? Select the text and change the font color – and all the data reappears instantly.

Example 3: The overlooked email address

An HR department prepares a list of candidates for a new project. Names and surnames are blacked out. But no one paid attention to the column with email addresses, which often include full names. A single overlooked column reveals everything – including recruitment mistakes and potential privacy violations.

Manual anonymization is a mistake waiting to happen. And when it does, the consequences can be severe: data loss and exposure to unauthorized parties, mandatory reporting to the data protection authority and the affected individuals, loss of client trust, and even administrative fines.

That’s why it’s worth using tools that:

• automatically detect personal data (names, addresses, ID numbers, tax numbers, etc.),
• remove it permanently and irreversibly,
• comply with GDPR, providing legal security and auditability,
• work quickly – processing hundreds of pages in minutes.

Redact, developed by Fordata, is a tool that scans documents (PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, images, and other formats) and automatically anonymizes personal data. You don’t have to black out anything manually – the system recognizes sensitive data and secures it for you.

Key features that really make a difference:

• Detecting data across different formats – not only in text but also in images (e.g. scanned contracts, invoices, CVs).
• Automatic redaction – without the risk of overlooking something.
• Audit logs – showing who processed a document and when, enhancing security.
• Speed and efficiency – processing hundreds of pages within minutes, saving employees’ time.

Anonymization isn’t only relevant for large corporations. A small law firm, an accounting office, a school, a government office – wherever personal data appears, there is also the obligation to protect it.

A tool like Redact provides:

• time savings – no need to manually check and edit documents,
• peace of mind – knowing data has been securely protected,
• compliance – reducing the risk of audits or fines.

It’s not worth printing, blacking out, and scanning documents, hoping everything will work out. Manual anonymization is an outdated method that only gives the illusion of control. In reality, it is slow, costly, and unsafe.

Automated anonymization is the future – faster, safer, and legally compliant. Tools like Redact prove that this can be done professionally, without high costs or unnecessary stress.

Protect data as if you were protecting your own. Because every data leak is someone’s responsibility – either yours or the system’s. Better let it be the system.