Re: Removing Sensitive Data from Paper Documents

["Walters, Caroline (cw8de)" <cw8de () ESERVICES VIRGINIA EDU>]

Very true - I have also heard folks say that if you continue to photocopy a document with something redacted that 
eventually (I think it takes at least 20 rounds of copying the previous copy) you can read the redacted area as the 
blackout becomes lighter.

Caroline J. Walters, MA, MLS
University Records Officer/Records Management
Information Security, Policy, and Records Office (ISPRO)
Office of the Vice President/CIO
University of Virginia, 2400 Old Ivy Rd.
Box 400898, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4898
Phone: (434) 243-9162
Fax: (434) 243-9197
Email: cjwalters () virginia edu



-----Original Message-----
From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Bob Bayn
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 4:56 PM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Removing Sensitive Data from Paper Documents

 Walters, Caroline (cw8de) [cw8de () ESERVICES VIRGINIA EDU] wrote:
"The only way to really redact PI from paper records is to either cut out the information from the document - or black 
it out with a sharpie or other marker and then copy the record (destroying the original and retaining the copy as the 
official).  If you simply black out the original and retain that you can usually (depending on the printing of the 
document) read through the black out to obtain the information."  ...

I am reminded of a discussion on this or the ICPL list some time back where someone provided a pdf of a copyright 
infringement presettlement offer from the recording industry.  The incident code in the URL was blacked out with a 
sharpie.  You couldn't see the code on the screen.  I happened to print it out for use as a visual aid in local 
discussions and was surprised to notice that I could fairly clearly see the original code in the dark grey box on the 
printout.



Bob Bayn        (435)797-2396      Security Team coordinator
  Stop by the "Security Bunker" in SER 301 to see our network
  visualizers showing the continual attacks by outsiders.
Office of Information Technology   at  Utah State University