Knowledge (XXG)

Metadata removal tool

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All metadata edits are reversible. While this would normally be considered an advantage, it is a potential security problem because old information is never actually deleted from the file. (However, after running ExifTool the old information may be removed permanently using the "qpdf" utility with
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Since metadata is sometimes not clearly visible in authoring applications (depending on the application and its settings), there is a risk that the user will be unaware of its existence or will forget about it and, if the file is shared, private or confidential information will inadvertently be
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files. They can include information such as details on the file authors, file creation and modification dates, geographical location, document revision history, thumbnail images, and comments. Metadata may be added to files by users, but some metadata is often automatically added to files by
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Metadata removal tools are also commonly used to reduce the overall sizes of files, particularly image files posted on the Web. For example, a small image on a website, which may contain metadata including a
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file, it is important to linearize the PDF file afterwards, otherwise changes are reversible and the metadata can be recovered.
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Server based systems, which are designed to automatically remove metadata at the network gateway.
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exposed. The purpose of metadata removal tools is to minimize the risk of such data leakage.
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authoring applications or by devices used to produce the files, without user intervention.
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Integral metadata removal tools, which are included in some applications, like the
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The metadata removal tools that exist today can be divided into four groups:
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from files before they are shared with others, e.g., by sending them as
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Batch metadata removal tools, which can process multiple files.
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Digital Privacy and Security Using Windows: A Practical Guide
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of its users by removing potentially privacy-compromising
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Metadata can be found in many types of files such as
291:this command: "qpdf --linearize in.pdf out.pdf". 351: 8: 162:Hassan, Nihad; Hijazi, Rami (2 July 2017). 358: 344: 154: 143:Sanitization (classified information) 111:To securely delete the metadata of a 7: 326:This security software article is a 316: 314: 304:"exiftool Application Documentation" 239:. Elearning Examples. Archived from 330:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by 14: 392:Computer security software stubs 318: 1: 133:Data loss prevention software 16:Privacy protecting software 408: 313: 42:or by posting them on the 197:"The Many Faces of Fraud" 237:elearningexamples.com 30:built to protect the 20:Metadata removal tool 213:on 12 December 2022 254:O'Reilly, Dennis. 88:Document Inspector 40:e-mail attachments 339: 338: 175:978-1-4842-2799-2 24:metadata scrubber 399: 382:Privacy software 360: 353: 346: 322: 315: 308: 307: 300: 294: 293: 282: 276: 275: 273: 271: 266:on 1 August 2022 262:. Archived from 251: 245: 244: 243:on 5 March 2014. 229: 223: 222: 220: 218: 212: 201: 193: 187: 186: 184: 182: 159: 92:Microsoft Office 28:privacy software 407: 406: 402: 401: 400: 398: 397: 396: 367: 366: 365: 364: 312: 311: 302: 301: 297: 284: 283: 279: 269: 267: 253: 252: 248: 231: 230: 226: 216: 214: 210: 204:LAWPRO Magazine 199: 195: 194: 190: 180: 178: 176: 161: 160: 156: 151: 129: 121:thumbnail image 52: 17: 12: 11: 5: 405: 403: 395: 394: 389: 387:Legal software 384: 379: 369: 368: 363: 362: 355: 348: 340: 337: 336: 323: 310: 309: 295: 277: 246: 224: 188: 174: 153: 152: 150: 147: 146: 145: 140: 135: 128: 125: 109: 108: 105: 100:E-mail client 98: 95: 51: 48: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 404: 393: 390: 388: 385: 383: 380: 378: 375: 374: 372: 361: 356: 354: 349: 347: 342: 341: 335: 333: 329: 324: 321: 317: 305: 299: 296: 292: 287: 281: 278: 265: 261: 257: 250: 247: 242: 238: 234: 228: 225: 209: 205: 198: 192: 189: 177: 171: 167: 166: 158: 155: 148: 144: 141: 139: 136: 134: 131: 130: 126: 124: 122: 116: 114: 106: 103: 99: 96: 93: 89: 85: 84: 83: 80: 76: 73: 69: 65: 64:presentations 61: 57: 49: 47: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 26:is a type of 25: 21: 332:expanding it 325: 298: 289: 280: 268:. Retrieved 264:the original 259: 249: 241:the original 236: 227: 215:. Retrieved 208:the original 203: 191: 179:. Retrieved 164: 157: 117: 110: 87: 81: 77: 60:spreadsheets 53: 23: 19: 18: 270:12 December 217:12 December 181:12 December 371:Categories 286:"PDF Tags" 168:. Apress. 149:References 56:documents 377:Metadata 127:See also 50:Overview 36:metadata 102:add-ins 32:privacy 172:  70:, and 68:images 211:(PDF) 200:(PDF) 72:audio 328:stub 272:2022 260:CNET 219:2022 183:2022 170:ISBN 138:Exif 113:PDF 90:in 44:Web 22:or 373:: 288:. 258:. 235:. 202:. 66:, 62:, 58:, 46:. 359:e 352:t 345:v 334:. 306:. 274:. 221:. 185:. 94:.

Index

privacy software
privacy
metadata
e-mail attachments
Web
documents
spreadsheets
presentations
images
audio
Microsoft Office
add-ins
PDF
thumbnail image
Data loss prevention software
Exif
Sanitization (classified information)
Digital Privacy and Security Using Windows: A Practical Guide
ISBN
978-1-4842-2799-2
"The Many Faces of Fraud"
the original
"A Guardian guide to your metadata – Interactive Graphic"
the original
"Remove metadata from Office files, PDFs, and images"
the original
"PDF Tags"
"exiftool Application Documentation"
Stub icon
stub

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