SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A recent survey of law firms across the country sponsored by Informative Graphics Corporation (IGC), a leading provider of viewing, collaboration and intelligent redaction technology, showed that 74 percent of those law firms taking the survey still perform redaction manually while 44 percent of respondents now employ electronic redaction technology to handle privileged information. Next-generation electronic redaction solutions automate the removal of sensitive content or privacy data, along with any hidden text and metadata, reducing the risk of having such information inadvertently revealed due to human error. The technology is employed to deal with the removal of privileged information, while remaining in compliance with a range of federal and state mandates that govern the legal profession.

“Law firms deal with a whole range of sensitive information in their work. Their very survival depends on their ability to assure clients that such information is handled with the utmost security,” commented Gary Heath, CEO of Informative Graphics. “But, as this survey showed, safeguards at even the largest firms are often inadequate. Intelligent electronic redaction software ensures that client information is being handled securely.”

Manual Redaction: An Unprofitable Use of Legal Professionals’ Valuable Time
Like so many organizations, law firms have traditionally attempted to protect sensitive information by manually redacting it using tape and markers. In fact, 59 percent of respondents in the IGC survey revealed that they perform redaction manually.

Manual redaction is time-consuming and extremely labor-intensive, and the result may not be entirely accurate. And computer-based programs that perform manual redaction, while an improvement over the tape and marker method, are still too labor-intensive and time-consuming to meet organizations’ needs. The IGC survey shows that, in many firms, highly trained legal professionals spend valuable time performing manual redaction. Thirty five percent of the respondents said that paralegals performed redaction at their firms, while 36 percent of respondents said that lawyers – whose time should be spent strictly in client service and revenue generation – perform redaction at their firms.

The Verdict is In: Automated Intelligent Redaction Software Offers a Solution
Law firms could make better use of their professionals’ valuable time, while better ensuring the security of sensitive information, by employing a system of automated intelligent redaction. Based on user-specified requirements, ICG’s Redact-It intelligently blacks out and removes privileged information from documents. It performs redactions by zoned areas, search phrases or text patterns. And Redact-It is available as either desktop or server-based software for individual or company-wide use.

“In these days of heightened awareness of information privacy, organizations have to be vigilant in protecting sensitive data. Nowhere is that more true than in the legal profession, where clients trust their attorneys with the most sensitive personal and business information. And, like all kinds of organizations, firms must make the best possible use of their talented professionals’ time. Redact-It helps them do just that,” Heath said.

About Informative Graphics
Informative Graphics Corporation (IGC), founded in 1990, is a leading developer of commercial software products for content visualization, secure publishing, and collaboration. Renowned for their cost-saving value, ease of use, features and scalability, ICG products are deployed by thousands of corporations in the United States and internationally. IGC maintains offices in the United States and has key distribution and OEM partners worldwide. For more information, visit www.infograph.com.

Contact
Christine Musil     
Informative Graphics Corporation   
Tel: (602) 971-6061, ext. 133
Fax: (602) 971-1714  
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Joe Austin
Ventana PR for IGC
(818) 591-2646
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Informative Graphics is a registered trademark of Informative Graphics Corporation, and Redact-It is a trademark of Informative Graphics Corporation. All other names are the properties of their respective owners.