Document Grinding

Document grinding is the process of analyzing documents to extract meaningful data. The term is often associated with computer hacking, since hackers may "grind" documents to reveal confidential data. However, document grinding is also used for nonmalicious purposes. Examples include identifying unknown file types and viewing file metadata.

It is possible to perform document grinding on both plain text and binary files.

Text Files

Grinding text files is a simple process since they store data as plain text. You can search for characters and strings within a text document using a tool like grep or another search utility. Since text processing is a relatively fast computer operation, it may be possible to grind several large documents in less than a second.

Common text file types targeted for document grinding include log files (.LOG, .TXT) and configuration files (.CONF, .CNF). If a hacker gains access to a web server, for example, he may search these files for usernames, passwords, and other confidential data.

Binary Files

Binary files may contain some plain text, but they also store binary data — 1s and 0s. It is more difficult to grind binary data since it cannot be searched with a text search tool. Additionally, many binary files are saved in a proprietary file format, which is difficult to parse without the corresponding application. Therefore binary document grinding typically focuses on the header and footer of a document, which may contain plain text. It may also aim to extract file metadata.

Many binary files contain information about the file type in the header of the file. For example, in the sample image, the letters "PNG" in the header indicate the file is a PNG image. This information is useful for identifying the file type since it does not have a file extension. Similarly, digital photos often contain hidden EXIF data saved when the photo was taken. An image-viewing program or a document grinding script may be able to detect and extract this information.

Updated September 13, 2019 by Per C.

quizTest Your Knowledge

Which operating system had a version code-named Yosemite?

A
iOS
0%
B
OS X
0%
C
Android
0%
D
Windows
0%
Correct! Incorrect!     View the Yosemite definition.
More Quizzes →

The Tech Terms Computer Dictionary

The definition of Document Grinding on this page is an original definition written by the TechTerms.com team. If you would like to reference this page or cite this definition, please use the green citation links above.

The goal of TechTerms.com is to explain computer terminology in a way that is easy to understand. We strive for simplicity and accuracy with every definition we publish. If you have feedback about this definition or would like to suggest a new technical term, please contact us.

Sign up for the free TechTerms Newsletter

How often would you like to receive an email?

You can unsubscribe or change your frequency setting at any time using the links available in each email.

Questions? Please contact us.