PII Detection & Redaction, without uploading a thing

Finds emails, phones, IDs, card numbers and API keys and exports a redacted copy — without uploading the file.

Confidentiality-bound professionals face a daunting challenge when it comes to protecting sensitive information in their documents. The proliferation of online tools promising easy PDF redaction has led to a common misconception: all you need to do is upload the un-redacted file to have your sensitive content removed. Unfortunately, this approach poses significant risks, as uploading even one document can compromise confidentiality and expose vulnerabilities. In reality, many reputable "redact PDF free" sites require users to share their original, un-edited files in order to perform redaction services.

This is where Secretary Bird comes in – a cutting-edge browser extension that enables on-device analysis and redaction of confidential documents. By leveraging the power of local processing, Secretary Bird empowers you to review each detected hit in context before exporting a clean copy, all without transmitting any sensitive information. This approach not only ensures maximum security but also streamlines your workflow, saving you time and effort in the process. With Secretary Bird's innovative technology, you can rest assured that your documents are being handled locally, where they belong – never sent to a remote server or compromised cloud storage.

How PII Detection & Redaction works

PII Detection & Redaction in Secretary Bird analyzes documents using machine learning algorithms to identify sensitive information that requires protection. This includes personal identifiable information such as emails, phone numbers, Social Security numbers (SSN), driver's licenses (ID), international bank account numbers (IBAN), Luhn-checked credit card numbers, and API keys. The system works by scanning the text of the document and comparing it to a pre-trained dictionary of known sensitive information patterns.

When PII is detected, Secretary Bird provides an option to redact it from the original document source. This process involves marking the identified sensitive data with a placeholder that matches its exact length and formatting in the original text, ensuring that no valuable context or meaning is lost. The deterministic parts of this algorithm cannot hallucinate or introduce false positives, as they rely solely on pattern recognition based on existing data. Users can further customize their protection by creating an always-redact dictionary to specify specific sensitive information that requires special attention. Additionally, the Pro version of Secretary Bird includes AI-powered semantic redaction capabilities, which not only identifies PII but also assesses its relevance and context within the document, providing a more targeted and effective redaction process.

How to use it

1. Drop a PDF or DOCX
2. Open the PII tab to see every hit in context
3. Add client names to the always-redact list
4. Export the redacted copy

How it compares

Some online tools handle scanned-image redaction and court-filing metadata scrubbing that a text-layer redactor doesn't. Where Secretary Bird differs is the architecture: redact without uploading the un-redacted file first. The document is never uploaded, so using it doesn't hand your client's data to a third party.

Related reading

Secretary Bird is a triage and extraction assistant, not legal advice — you make the call. Built by hakeemify.