In this electronic world, paper has become out dated thing and PDF (Portable Document Format) has taken over its place. These PDF can be easily read on various Operating Systems along with wide variety of programs and it is also able to maintain document formatting in spite of device, program and Operating System. User can also easily manage bookmarks for reading pages later . Users can not only organize bookmarks but can also convert PDF documents to eBooks. But these features are not enough for making it so popular. The security reason is the highlighted feature that makes it so much popular in the business world. When you are making PDF documents for business purposes then there are always various security concerns including total number of viewers and how this content can be re- used etc. So it is very essential to understand the settings to your PDF security and other available protection features. So, below are some of the top most security tips of PDF files.
1. Use of Digital Certificates
In order to use digital certificates, you must first have a digital ID. Acrobat encrypts the PDF with the help of certificate security and make the contents of document accessible only by those persons specified by the author. It also provides a feeling of confidence to the document recipients that the document originated with the owner of the digital ID. Hence, eliminates the need to share passwords and also authors can assign different permission levels to different users according to their need or demands.
2. Use of Passwords or Public Keys
The security of PDF depends on encryption technique, but the method for getting admittance to files can change according to security requirement. Most of business documents take the help of passwords for protecting their documents and for making them completely confidential. The clients engaged in that business can be conveyed passwords on phone for accessing the electronically sent files, this technique stop interceptors from gaining access. The access can also be pre-defined with the help of public key, this make impossible to enjoy access to the documents unless you are desired recipient of that document. Please note that, the encrypted protection of PDF file will never stop anyone from deleting that file. So, it is your responsibility to ensure that the document is secure or not.
3. Avoiding or Breaking of some encrypted PDF documents
In spite of all encryption techniques, a determined PDF copier can easily re- type the texts or can easily take screenshots of the documents and there are many online services that helps these copiers by providing them service of removing the encryption very easily. With the help of various levels of available encryption and many high power computers which are capable in breaking encryption, your PDF encrypted document is never safe but can deter many people.
4. Printing of password protected document
If your PDF document is protected by the password even then there are chances that unwanted users can use it because this mode can allow print out access without asking password. So, you must keep this thing always in your mind to save your documents from unwanted eyes.
5. Prevention from copying
You might have trapped in some situations in which you are not able to copy the PDF document which you like. This is because of the security reason that prevent the your PDF document being copied, saved or stored by other person. In high security, the viewers can’t even obtain printout of the documents. The DRM is always useful when you are sending files to some clients for generating preview before paying for your work. But, if your PDF file is un-encrypted then you can easily do anything with it.