As the number of data requests rise, those responsible for document redaction and data privacy include the following among their concerns:
Solution not scalable
Cannot manage attachments
Not all files redactable
Spreadsheets an issue
As time-consuming as manual
Drain on budgets
To meet strict compliance standards today, Data workers typically have to locate information held in multiple locations in multiple document formats. While it was once viable to redact documents manually or to use online tools for occasional requests, those days have long passed.
Cloud solutions and online tools not always the answer
Compliance teams suggest that Cloud redaction cannot redact emails and various attachments and can be as inefficient as manual page-by-page redaction.
Factors behind the surge in data subject access requests
Beyond the fact that the general public has greater awareness of privacy rights since the advent of GDPR, a number of factors have contributed to the rise in data requests. The pandemic caused a spike in requests owing to the number of furloughs, redundancies and proposed changes in employment terms and conditions.
There has also been discussion in the press and trade publications about “weaponised” DSARs. While the press has over-emphasised the term “weaponised”, at Facit we have seen a rise in data requests among employees who have doubts or questions about their employment rights or status, which might be considered a natural step for any of us to pursue.
Plus, as we have recorded in a recent Facit article, the majority of DSARs today are initiated by law firms and insurance companies that instigate DSARs as the first stage of their Discovery and Claims processes.
Budget pressures for data compliance teams
The majority of established organisations and businesses have a document data redaction system in place. However, the bulk of Facit’s recent enquiries are from Data professionals who worry that their solution is neither scalable nor cost-effective. Other queries originate in a concern that the redaction methods currently in place may not guarantee irreversible redaction (an issue highlighted in ICO documents, page 9).
The solution, so far, for most operators has been to throw additional resource at the problem, which results in increased staff costs.
Fast, reliable, format-agnostic data removal
Facit Data Systems helps organisations worldwide to automate complex document data redaction in all document formats. Facit Data Redaction goes beyond masking sensitive data: Facit removes problematic data in seconds so that there is 0% risk of a privacy breach.
