Photos and documents carry information you don't see when you open them.
A photo may include the GPS location where it was taken and the device that took it. Word, Excel and PowerPoint files may hold the author's name, company details, comments and tracked changes, including the ones you thought you'd accepted. PDFs record who created them and with what software.
Before a file leaves the business
Inspect its metadata and remove anything the recipient doesn't need. Microsoft Office has a Document Inspector under File, Info, Check for Issues. For photos on Windows, open the file's Properties and check the Details tab, where you can remove properties.
Inspect the version you're actually sending
Cleaning a draft and then sending a later copy is the common mistake. Check the final file.
A note on site photos
Photos from phones on site are geotagged by default. That's often useful internally and occasionally a problem externally, for example where a client's home address is sensitive.
If you'd like metadata stripping built into how files go out of the practice, we can set that up.
Want a hand with this? Talk to us.