BEST PRACTICES Data Anonymization – Why You Shouldn't Rely on Adobe Acrobat Pro

In an era of increasingly strict data protection regulations, such as GDPR and HIPAA, proper anonymization of documents has become a crucial process for many organizations. Companies and public institutions are obligated to effectively remove or mask sensitive information in order to avoid privacy breaches and potential financial penalties.

There are many tools available on the market that support data anonymization, but their effectiveness and functionality vary significantly. One commonly used program is Adobe Acrobat Pro, which offers basic content redaction capabilities for PDF files. But is it really the best solution for data anonymization?

In this article, we will compare Adobe Acrobat Pro with Redact – a specialized anonymization tool that provides automatic detection and hiding of personal data in documents. We’ll explore why Adobe Acrobat Pro may not be the best choice for certain organizations in this area, and what benefits come with using Redact instead.

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a popular software for editing and processing PDF files. One of its features is the ability to redact content by manually selecting and hiding specific parts of a document.

However, in the context of data anonymization, this program has several significant limitations that can cause challenges in day-to-day operations:

1. Manual Anonymization Process

Adobe Acrobat Pro does not offer automatic detection of personal data. Every piece of text that needs to be hidden must be manually selected by the user, which results in:

• Risk of human error – it’s easy to overlook fragments containing personal data, especially in large documents.
• Time-consuming process – for documents spanning hundreds of pages, manual anonymization becomes extremely burdensome and labor-intensive.
• Lack of consistency – different employees may apply different anonymization methods, leading to an inconsistent final result.

2. Limited File Format Support

Adobe Acrobat Pro primarily works with PDF files. This means documents in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint formats must first be converted to PDF, which:

• May cause loss of formatting and content layout errors.
• Prolongs the anonymization process, especially when handling a large volume of files in various formats.

3. No Support for Image and Scan Anonymization

Although Adobe Acrobat Pro allows text redaction, it lacks advanced features for automatically detecting data in images. When working with scanned documents or invoices, users must manually review and obscure sensitive data, which is time-consuming and increases the risk of missing important information.

Redact is an advanced tool designed to automate the anonymization process. Unlike Adobe Acrobat Pro, it leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and conceal sensitive data in documents, eliminating the need for manual work.

1. Automatic Anonymization

Redact can automatically detect and redact 23 types of information, including:

• National identification numbers (e.g., PESEL, NIP, REGON)
• Email addresses and phone numbers
• Credit card and bank account details
• Names, addresses, and company identifiers
• …and many more

This means the user doesn’t need to manually search through documents — the system automatically detects and anonymizes data within seconds using AI-powered support.

2. Support for Multiple File Formats

Redact is not limited to PDFs — it supports up to 18 file formats, including:

• Word documents (.doc, .docx)
• Excel spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx)
• PowerPoint presentations (.ppt, .pptx)
• Text files (.txt)
• Image files (jpg, png, bmp)
• Scanned documents

This allows anonymization to be performed without the need for file conversion, saving time and avoiding formatting issues.

3. Image and Scan Anonymization Support

Redact can automatically detect personal data in images and scanned documents, giving it a significant edge over Adobe Acrobat Pro. The software analyzes graphical content, recognizes text, and applies appropriate anonymization techniques.

4. Intuitive Interface and Team Collaboration

Redact features an intuitive user interface, making it easy to use even for individuals without prior anonymization experience. Additionally, the tool supports team collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on documents simultaneously.

While Adobe Acrobat Pro is a solid tool for editing PDF files, its functionality in the area of data anonymization is quite limited. The lack of automatic anonymization, support for various file formats, and handling of images and scans makes it a suboptimal solution for organizations aiming to ensure legal compliance and effectively protect personal data.

In contrast, Redact offers a comprehensive, fast, and fully automated approach to anonymization, saving time and minimizing the risk of errors. If your company or institution publishes documents containing personal data, Redact will be a significantly better choice than Adobe Acrobat Pro.