Free Document Scanners Expose Confidential Information

Many companies are unknowingly leaving their confidential files accessible on the internet. According to experts from Cyjax, employees often upload sensitive documents to free websites that scan files for malware. After uploading, these documents can be downloaded by anyone.

Typically, these document scanning sites check files (such as email attachments) in a secure sandbox environment. “These services allow anyone to upload files and then generate a report on what happens when the files are opened. They then determine whether the file is malicious or legitimate. All the services selected for this study have public channels and do not require payment to upload or view publicly available materials,” the researchers explained.

By passively monitoring three such services over three days, Cyjax specialists collected more than 200 documents. Most of these were purchase orders and invoices, but in some cases, they found legal documents, including insurance and government paperwork. By analyzing the invoices, the researchers were able to identify which organizations used the service and obtain contact details for employees responsible for procurement.