Portable Document Format (PDF) is found everywhere starting from finance statements to bedtime stories. The ease of handling this format has increased its usage in various sectors, but the quick reach amongst the users have also made its security an important issue amongst those using this document format.

Organizations have started taking professional help for securing their crucial documents within and outside the organization. Individuals are still struggling with the security measures as they may not hire an expert due to the cost involved. The security of the documents on an individual basis is also quite possible now as password protecting PDF is becoming popular.

What is PDF password protection?

With the kind of confidential stuff PDF is carrying, password protecting the file becomes inevitable. This is very easy for those using Apple’s Preview or Adobe Acrobat, as both of these platforms help easily restrict the access to the documents with a unique password. Those working with these softwares have to simply enter the unique password to protect the file, but that may never mean that all the documents need to be password protected as in case of password loss, opening the protected documents would become a big task for sure!

Now if you are the Windows user then the password protecting your PDF won’t be very easy as it won’t be free! You can always buy Adobe Acrobat trial pack to protect your important files, but that again won’t last forever. In that case, you can use the third party application for password protecting the PDF.

How PDF password protection protects your documents?

Attaching a password to your important document would not just secure it against viewing, but it would also add various levels of security to the document. The password protected file will be secured from different aspects as mentioned here.

• Complete Document Control – The documents protected by password may have multiple levels of controls like;

1. Information Rights Management (IRM) that will control the access to one or multiple readers. In an organization, IRM can limit the document access to a certain set of people.
2. Copy, share and print control would restrict the users from copying or printing the file even when it is open. The screenshot control is also included now as this is another means of copying the secured file.
3. Digital Expiry is the control that automatically shreds the file after a certain period of time. Thus, even when the file is kept open at some other end point device, it will be automatically shredded after the pre-defined period.
4. Device Limit that would make the file available on only a certain number of devices at a time. The user can make it single or multiple device based on the file security required.
5. Watermarking technology is the type of the document control that fixes the users’ rights over the document even when it is wrongly used.

• Security while sharing – This will offer security to the document when it is being shared through a closed or open network.

PDF Password Protection keeps the document wrapped in different security shields. Seek the professional help to make it work for your crucial documents.