The PDF Release.
Is a result of someone not understanding what a PDF is. It is one thing to create a PDF in preparation of creating a hardcopy but quite another to release the raw file.
If you are publishing sensitive material you had better not put it on the PDF you plan to distribute it in the first place.
In case you don't know what brought this on, let me fill you in. A summary the investigation on the Sgrena affair was released in PDF format. The author redacted material on the report that was classified and released the raw PDF file to the public. The redactions do not erase the material being redacted! They only black it out when read via PDF reader! People were able to look at the raw file and were able to view the classified information still in the report!
Nothing real huge like "Ali Abdullah is our man in Zarqawi's group" but information that can make a difference to the men on the ground.
Remember to be careful what you put onto computer files. Deleting does not truly make the information go away, backups happen, e-mail is not 100% anonymous etc etc etc.
If you are publishing sensitive material you had better not put it on the PDF you plan to distribute it in the first place.
In case you don't know what brought this on, let me fill you in. A summary the investigation on the Sgrena affair was released in PDF format. The author redacted material on the report that was classified and released the raw PDF file to the public. The redactions do not erase the material being redacted! They only black it out when read via PDF reader! People were able to look at the raw file and were able to view the classified information still in the report!
Nothing real huge like "Ali Abdullah is our man in Zarqawi's group" but information that can make a difference to the men on the ground.
Remember to be careful what you put onto computer files. Deleting does not truly make the information go away, backups happen, e-mail is not 100% anonymous etc etc etc.
posted by Marcus Aurelius at 8:42 PM
<< Home