Most lawyers have probably heard the word “metadata” and, at minimum, know that it has something to do with their documents. But it’s vital that every law office, staff included, is aware of the risks posed by metadata, and what steps can reduce the dangers.
A popular, if slightly ambiguous definition of metadata is “data about data.” In fact, metadata is the hidden information that can be found embedded in electronic files. It may include transactional details about the document, such as author, software used, the date it was written and even edits made along the way. It occurs in many different forms and in a vast number of locations. In a Word document, for example, metadata can include tracked changes, comments, text smaller than 5 points, white text on any background and previous authors. The most potentially damaging of these can be the tracked changes or comments made in earlier versions.
