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DIGITAL REDACTION · A GUIDE FOR UK LAWYERS Digital Redaction That Cannot Be Reversed Why Black Rectangles Fail, How Real Redaction Works, and How to Verify It COMPUTER FORENSICS LAB

§ ABOUT THE AUTHOR PREPARED BY COMPUTER FORENSICS LAB E-DISCOVERY TEAM FAILED-REDACTION EXAM IN AT I ON CPR PART 35 EXPERT REPORT S FULL CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY DOCUMENTATION

§ CONTENTS In this guide 01 Executive summary 02 The problem in plain English: covering is not removing 03 Where content hides: text layers, metadata, embeds and revisions 04 How real redaction works: burn-in, s an it is at i on and the pipeline 05 The hard formats: spreadsheets, natives, images and media 06 Verification: testing your own redactions before they leave 07 Receiving redacted productions: audit, challenge and recovery ethics 08 Source architecture: where else the evidence lives 09 Worked examples 10 Common mistakes and technical limitations 11 Questions to ask · Suggested wording 12 Checklist and red flags · When to involve a digital forensic expert 13 Frequently asked questions 14 Glossary · References · Disclaimer · How a specialist laboratory can assist

§ 01 · ORIENTATION Executive summary THE HEADLINE POINT: REDACTIONISREMOVALOFDATA, NOTCONCEALMENTOF PIXELS: BURNIN, SANITISE, VERIFY, ANDKEEPTHEAUDITRECORDTHATPROVESALL THREE

§ 02 · FIRST PRINCIPLES The problem in plain English: covering is not removing

§ 03 · THEHIDINGPLACES Where content hides: text layers, metadata, embeds and revisions