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How to protect PDF files without passwords


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  • Stop sharing and distribution
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Why you should NOT password protect PDF files

PDF protection: why passwords are useless

If you want to protect a PDF securely then DON’T use passwords.  They have 2 major weaknesses:

  1. If you want to share a PDF you have to give the passwords to others.  They can remove this (since they know it) or share it with others.
  2. PDF permissions or restrictions can be instantly removed using free online tools or services.

Put simply: password protection = NO protection.

What should I use to protect PDF files?


The key to a secure system is to avoid the user having to know or be involved with passwords at all.

This is best achieved by ensuring that, in a cryptographic system, keys are exchanged securely and secretly, so that the user is not aware of, and therefore cannot compromise, the security of the system.  You can then be confident that the protection method you have used is resistant to both deliberate and careless compromise.

The people most able to compromise any security system are the authorized users.  That is not to say that users are deliberately dishonest or even malicious − rather that in most cases they fail to understand the security functions that they are expected to perform.  This is why phishing and social engineering attacks are common.

Though it’s not easy to design, a system that does not require direct user involvement with passwords or keys provides the best PDF protection.  Otherwise, the integrity of the system hinges on humans, who are fallible.

  PDF protection without passwords

Locklizard has two PDF protection solutions that protect a PDF file without passwords.  Safeguard PDF Security and Enterprise PDF DRM do NOT use PDF password protection to protect your PDF documents.  They ensure your PDF documents are encrypted and protected against unauthorized access and use.

  • PDFs are encrypted locally on your desktop and protected using a unique key that is stored, encrypted, on a licensing server.
  • Keys are securely and transparently delivered to authorized devices (one that a user has activated their license from) when a protected document is opened.
  • Keys are locked to authorized devices so that they cannot be shared with others.
  • Protected PDFs cannot be copied, printed or shared unless you have specified otherwise.
  • You add DRM controls to prevent PDF copying, saving, modifying, and printing.
  • You can set document expiry dates and instantly revoke PDF files.
  • There are no passwords for users to enter, manage, forget, remove, or pass on to others.

Safeguard uses US Gov strength AES encryption to encrypt PDFs, public key technology, DRM and license controls to ensure your PDFs remain protected at all times.  See our DRM Technology.

Locklizard’s PDF Protection Features

Protect PDF files without passwords and choose from a wide range of granular DRM controls to tightly control access and use.

How to protect PDF files without passwords

Locklizard enables you to protect PDF files without passwords by combining 256-bit AES encryption, a secure viewer application, and a licensing system with transparent and secure key management.

Here’s how to protect a PDF document without passwords using Safeguard
  1. Right-click on a PDF on your computer and select ‘Make Secure PDF’.

    Creating a protected PDF file

  2. Select the copy protection controls you want to apply.  By default, editing, copying, and printing are disabled.

    PDF protection without passwords

  3. Press the Publish button to protect the PDF.
  4. Select the users you want to give access to your protected PDF files using the cloud-based Admin System.  See how to add a new user and grant them document access.

    Safeguard Admin System

  5. Distribute your protected PDF documents just like any other file.  The protected PDF can then be delivered however you like, as only authorized users can open it.

10 Reasons NOT to password protect PDF files

Although it seems like a good idea to password protect a PDF because it’s easy, most implementations are not effective.  Below are 10 reasons why you should not PDF password protect files.

  • Password Maintenance

    Strong PDF passwords are difficult to set up and use.

  • Password Administration

    You have to administer a list of PDF passwords – ideally one for each document.  This can soon become a burden.

  • The Adobe PDF Open Password must be shared

    The Adobe Acrobat document open password must be given to others in order for users to view PDF files.  So you have to find a way to share them securely.

  • Passwords are easily shared with unauthorized users

    PDF passwords can be easily shared because they are sent in a readable format.

    Or users can simply remove them since they know what the password is.

  • You don’t know who has access to your protected PDF files

    There is no way of knowing how many people are using a PDF password that has been given away or stolen.

  • Passwords are easily forgotten

    Users often forget passwords and are more likely to try and remove them as a result.

  • Passwords are easily stolen

    PDF passwords can be easily stolen.  They are often left exposed in plain text documents so that they can be easily remembered or copy/pasted.

  • PDF Password Removal tools can remove passwords in seconds

    There are many free PDF password removal programs that will easily remove Adobe Acrobat passwords, including the open password.  Even applications like Google Drive and Google Chrome can be used to remove PDF passwords – see Adobe PDF security issues.

  • 16 character ASCII passwords can be cracked in an hour

    It takes just 1 hour to crack 16-character ASCII passwords when a common password has not been used (password crackers check against a commonly used password list first).  If a commonly used password has been used, then it takes seconds or minutes.

PDF protection & password security basics

  Password protecting PDF files: why use passwords?

Passwords have a strong historic precedent in protecting access to computers and files.  Originally, it was the only mechanism that could be implemented – smart cards and biometrics were just a gleam in manufacturers’ eyes (and some say still are).

Over time, however, they have received increasingly bad press as a security mechanism.  This is largely because systems have been implemented poorly, with little understanding of security or human psychology.

The usual approach to password management is to insist on one that has 6-8 characters and numbers and changes regularly.  This approach makes people pick easy passwords so that they have a snowball in hell’s chance of remembering.  The same applies when people pick passwords for protecting encrypted PDF documents (or password protect a Word document, zip files, or anything similar).  It is difficult to choose a password that you can easily pass on to the recipient and be sure they get it right unless you choose a short and simple one.

  Password Tips

If you do decide to go the password security route, there are several aspects you need to keep in mind.  Creating passwords that follow these rules will increase the time it takes a password cracking program to compromise them (though it won’t stop users from sharing the passwords with others):

  1. DON’T use a PDF password that’s human-readable: Any password that a human can “read” will be easier for a machine to crack. Dictionary words, dates, names, common keyboard patterns (asdf, 123), capitals only at the start of words, repeating characters.  All of these are easy targets for cracking tools.
  2. DO use acronyms: Completely random passwords are difficult to remember.  Passwords that are difficult to remember are more likely to be stored insecurely (on a post-it note or plaintext file).  The best balance between memorability and security is to create an acronym from a phrase (12+ characters, NOT a common idiom), and add capital letters, numbers, and special characters.
  3. DON’T re-use passwords: Isolate the impact of a password compromize as much as possible.  Reusing passwords or using variants of the same password means that if one PDF is compromized, all of them are.
  4. DO use password generators and password managers: The requirements above will make it harder for you to manage, create, and remember passwords.  This is unavoidable, but you can mitigate it somewhat by randomly generating your passwords and securing them in a password manager.  However, the password manager holds the keys to your entire kingdom, so you better make sure it uses a strong password, 2FA, and even biometrics/a security key where possible.

Managing PDF passwords & controlling use


Managing PDF passwords is, in itself, a nightmare:

  • Who has which password?
  • Has it been changed?
  • Can they update it?
  • What happens if you update it?
  • How do you get the password to the recipient securely?
  • If they ‘lose’ it how do you replace it?
You can’t stop users sharing passwords with other people, and you have no way of being able to detect that

And therein lies the problem.  Short passwords that are easy to remember and type are just as easy for an attacker to crack with a dictionary system.  They can break it in minutes, if not seconds.  Even an exhaustive search for all numbers and letters for 8-character positions is stunningly quick – see Removing PDF Passwords.

Sadly, PDF passwords are still popular (as are zip passwords), despite the fact that they are easily passed on to unauthorized users and are often cracked.

This is the catch-22 of passwords: you must share the password for the security to be usable, but in doing so, severely compromizes it.  If you’re using a password to enforce PDF security or DRM, any rights you gave the recipient can be passed on by simply sharing the password.

We therefore have to conclude that PDF passwords are not an effective way to implement PDF security.  They are difficult to manage and easy to defeat.

Why do people password protect PDF files?


The simple answer is laziness or lack of research.  They assume that passwords provide ”enough” protection, despite the fact that anybody can search the Internet and buy products that will remove them in seconds.  Search for:

  • pdf password
  • pdf password protect
  • pdf password protection
  • pdf password security
  • password protect pdf
  • password protect a pdf file
  • how to password protect a pdf
  • protect pdf with password

And at least three of the first ten search queries are for pdf password crackers.

“Document-level password protection technically isn’t DRM (digital rights management).  And because of the plug-in architecture of Acrobat and PDF readers, it makes PDF a less-secure platform for DRM.” – ElcomSoft CEO Vladimir Katalov.

At a click of a button, pdf-Recover will remove the password regardless of whether it has been encrypted using the latest 256-bit AES encryption.  The result is an exact replica of the original PDF without any security settings whatsoever – pdf-Recover removes all of the restrictions implemented.

So, whilst you can use Adobe to password protect a PDF file for free, the security you are getting is not adequate.

If you are still not convinced, see Removing PDF Passwords and PDF Security cracks and flaws.

PDF Protect FAQs

Can you password protect a PDF online?

You can, but it’s not usually a good idea.  It means uploading your PDF file to somebody else’s server unprotected.  You have no way to verify what they will do with your unprotected copy after you upload it.  Online tools also use the same password security as Adobe Acrobat and the protection will therefore be easy to remove.  An example of an online password protection solution is PDFProtect which is now owned by SodaPDF.

How do I remove password protection from a PDF?
  1. If you know the open password, simply remove it in Adobe Acrobat settings.
  2. If you don’t, you’ll need to use paid software like Elcomsoft to crack it.
  3. The PDF permissions password is easy to remove – a free PDF password removal site or app will get rid of it instantly.
Can you password protect a PDF file in an email?

All email clients that support attachments will allow you to add a password protected PDF.  A good password can make it harder for an attacker to extract information should a user’s account be compromized or an email intercepted.  However, there are still aspects to consider – namely, how to transmit the password to the recipient securely and the fact that the recipient can share the password with others.  There are safer ways to send a PDF by email securely.

Can I protect a PDF from editing without a password?

Yes, if you use Locklizard to protect it.  Locklizard enables you to restrict PDF editing without passwords and stop users from copying and pasting content, screen grabbing, printing, sharing and more.

Can I password protect a PDF without Acrobat?

Yes, but it is no more secure.  You can encrypt a PDF without Acrobat using more secure methods such as certificates or PDF DRM.

Can I protect a PDF without passwords using Adobe?

While Adobe Experience Manager document security offers an improvement over PDF password protection, users who can view a document are still able to take screenshots.  And while AEM also enables you to protect a Word document from editing or copying and other Office docs, it also has some serious security flaws.

Can you print a password protected PDF?

Yes, it is easy to remove the permissions by using free software online.  If you want to prevent users from printing PDFs then you need to use a PDF DRM system that does not use passwords.

What is PDFProtect?

PDFProtect is PDF protection software that uses passwords to protect PDFs.  Just like Adobe Acrobat and other PDF password protector software, PDFProtect has the same security issues – users can share passwords and restrictions can be instantly removed.  It is therefore not advisable to use PDFProtect for the sharing of confidential and sensitive documents.

What is a PDF password protector?

A PDF password protector is an installed software app, tool, or online service, that protects PDFs using passwords.  PDF password protector applications are pretty useless since they don’t prevent sharing, copying, editing or printing since users can instantly remove restrictions or permissions.

How do you make a PDF protected?

At a minimum, the PDF file has to be encrypted.  Permissions or restrictions can then be added to prevent editing, copying and printing.  If the PDF protection can be easily removed (i.e. Adobe password protection or similar PDF password protector apps) then you are wasting your time adding it.  If you want to protect a PDF from sharing, copying, editing and printing then only passwordless DRM can achieve this.

What is the best PDF protection?

One that does not use passwords for protection.  This is because they can be shared, broken or removed and any restrictions added are completely useless.

PDF Password Protection Articles

A History of PDF Password Protection

PDF documents were first developed during the early 1990s as a means of sharing documents among users who had heterogeneous platforms

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Overview of PDF Password Protection

PDF Password Protection has been around for a long time but does it work? Here we look at it in terms of the good, the bad and the ugly.

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Why PDF Password Protection is not secure

Is PDF password protection secure? Most people are of the opinion that PDF password protection helps to keep their PDF data secure.

Read More →

Using Passwords to Protect PDF Files

Increasingly, people have become concerned that documents they send out, particularly in PDF format, may be open to re-distribution or misuse.

Read More →

Removing PDF Password Protection

A well-known technology website offered technical experts the opportunity to crack a 10,000+ entry-encrypted password document and asked

Read More →

How to Password Protect PDF Files

Adobe was the earliest pioneer in producing PDF documents. Over the years they added a number of security controls to protect PDF

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Cracking Password Protected PDF Files

How Easy It Is To Crack Password Protected Pdfs? Answer: Very. There are a number of advantages in using PDF documents, and chief amongst the

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Password protecting PDF files

Here we cover the use of a password to protect the opening of a PDF document rather than a permissions password (which is easily removed)

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PDF Security issues, flaws, and cracks

Information on PDF security issues, vulnerabilities, flaws and cracks in Adobe PDF and other PDF Security products.

Read More →

PDF Password ProtectionPassword Protecting PDFsHistory of PDF PasswordsUsing Passwords to Protect PDF files
How to Password Protect PDFsRemove PDF Password ProtectionCracking Password Protected PDFsProtect PDFs without Passwords
PDF Security IssuesPDF Digital Rights ManagementPDF EncryptionPDF Security
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