Redacting Is Easy. Just Do It Before You Submit.
Why manual redaction fails under real-world pressure
This is one of those things that sounds simple in theory:
“Just take out the sensitive stuff before you paste it into ChatGPT.”
No extra tools. No process change. Just human discipline.
But here’s the problem.
Manual redaction only works when people remember to do it, know what to look for, and have the time to double-check.
That’s a big ask in a fast-moving workflow.
The Myth
“You don’t need a tool. Just remove anything sensitive before you hit submit.”
We’ve heard it from managers, from compliance teams, even from AI vendors.
The logic is straightforward. If you can train people to recognize sensitive data, and trust them to pause and clean it up, you’re good.
But in practice, that’s not how it works.
The Reality
Manual redaction breaks down for three reasons:
- 1. People don’t always know what counts as sensitive.
- Is a first name with a job title sensitive?
- What about a region, or a timestamp tied to a complaint?
- These gray areas are where most leaks happen.
- 2. People forget.
- Even when trained, people get tired. They move fast. They miss things.
- 3. People get used to the interface.
- When tools become familiar, they stop feeling risky.
- After a few “safe” submissions, caution fades.
This isn’t about laziness. It’s about cognitive load. When people are trying to solve a problem quickly, they prioritize speed. Not policy. Not review.
And the data backs this up:
- A Harmonic Security study found that 8.5% of all prompts submitted to LLMs contain sensitive data.
- In the same report, nearly half of those included credentials, billing info, or private customer content.
- 65% of employees say they’ve bypassed security measures to save time at work.
Why It Matters
Redaction feels like a simple fix. But it assumes a level of awareness and discipline that isn’t realistic for most teams.
You can have smart, well-intentioned people and still leak PII.
All it takes is one rushed prompt, one fuzzy judgment call, one missed name.
What You Can Do About It
Instead of relying on people to remember, build a system that helps them.
PII Shield scans every prompt before it’s submitted. It checks for names, numbers, and other identifiers automatically.
It doesn’t block progress. It protects it.
It’s the difference between hoping someone redacts the right info, and knowing they won’t miss it.
Redaction Shouldn’t Be a Gamble
The idea of manual redaction makes sense in theory.
But in the real world, it’s inconsistent, fragile, and easy to forget.
Let your team move fast. Just give them something that catches the things they miss.
Have Questions About AI Compliance?
Get answers about regulatory requirements, risk management strategies, and practical compliance steps in our comprehensive FAQ section.
Visit FAQ Section