Hidden Data in Computer Files
Many of us put computer files online or send files to others without thinking about all of the hidden information they contain. Metadata: Are you Protectected?: Documents can hide damaging information in the August issue of Law Technology News discusses some of the hidden information in Word, WordPerfect, and PDF files. In environments with sensitive or confidential information, like a law firm, it’s good to be aware that someone looking at certain computer files might be able to track changes to the document, view comments, and perhaps learn the original author of a document.
I seem to remember hearing something recently about sensitive product information becoming public because a company posted a word processing file on a public Web site in a way that allowed people to see early drafts or edits to the document, but I can’t find that specific example now.
August 19th, 2004 at 9:16 pm
California’s State Attorney General Bill Lockyer, calling for a ban on peer to peer file transfer software, used a Microsoft Word document which disclosed that the document had been written by an an employee of the Motion Picture Association of America (theregister.co.uk, wired.com).