Document sanitization involves cleaning a document to remove hidden content like metadata, code, or malware, safeguarding sensitive information like passwords or financial details from hackers or data breaches. It is different from redaction as it focuses on hidden data, while redaction is about removing private information. Document sanitization helps protect organizations from leaks and breaches by permanently removing hidden content
Metadata removal is crucial to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information, which metadata might contain. To sanitize documents, converting to PDF format and using specific applications like Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Excel can help. Automated document sanitization software uses algorithms to redact sensitive terms from different document formats and helps prevent data leaks, enhancing compliance and protection against data theft. ```https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/document-sanitization