protected pdf

Protected PDF

Creating, Opening & Printing Protected PDF Files

Create, open & print protectedpdf files without passwords

How to create, open, and print protected PDF files using Safeguard PDF Security.
protect pdf file

To create a protected pdf file, right-click on a PDF in Windows File Explorer and select ‘Make Secure PDF’.

Free 15 Day Trial

Protect PDF files from misuse

Stop unauthorized access and sharing
Control use – stop printing, copying, editing, etc.
Lock PDFs to devices, countries, locations
User and PDF expiry, revoke files at any time

Protecting PDFs with Safeguard PDF security

Creating protected PDF files

In Safeguard Secure PDF Writer, choose your protectedPDF settings:

Stop printing, allow printing or limit the number of prints.
Add dynamic watermarks to viewed and or printed pages. Dynamic variables replace actual user and system data when the document is viewed/printed so you only have to protect the document once for all users.
Make the PDF expire on a specific date, after a number of views, after a number of prints, or after a number of days from opening.
Stop screen grabbing (even from remote connections).
Track document views and prints.

Once you have finished choosing your protected pdf options, press the Publish button. Your PDF file will be protected using the settings you applied and saved as a .PDC file of the same name. The .PDC file is a DRM protected PDF file which can only be opened in the Safeguard protected PDF viewer (Safeguard Secure PDF Viewer).

Safeguard’s default PDF protection

Stops users editing, copying and pasting content
Locks PDF files to specific devices so they cannot be shared
Revoke PDFs at any time regardless of where they reside
There are no passwords for users to enter, manage, or remove

Opening Protected PDF files

To open protected PDF files users first need to install the Safeguard Secure PDF Viewer and then register their license (by clicking on it).

The license file is automatically sent to each user when they are added to the Safeguard Administration System.

Once a user has registered they can then double-click on a protectedpdf file in Windows File Explorer to view it.

See the section on viewing protected PDF files for more details.

Zero Installation Secure PDF Viewers

Users can also open protectedpdf files with our zero installation Secure PDF Viewers:

in a browser using Secure Web Viewer
on a USB stick with Safeguard Portable

Printing Protected PDF files

To print protected PDF files choose the Print option from the File menu or press the icon.

Printing protected PDF files may not be possible if the document was protected without printing enabled. If printing protectedpdf files has been denied then the Print option and the Print icon will be greyed-out.

If printing is allowed printing then the document may have unlimited or limited prints available depending on the settings used when the protectedpdf file was created.

The number of prints available can differ for each user for the same document as print allocations can be altered on the Safeguard Admin System after a PDF file has been protected.

Print requests can be logged so you can see who has printed a document, when this took place and from what location.

Why does Locklizard use it’s own viewer for opening protected PDF files?

We use our own viewer so that:

We don’t have to update our viewer every time Adobe does an update
We can prevent JavaScript from running (the number 1 form of malicious attack to users computers)
We can prevent the use of plug-ins that could compromise the security of the system (plug-ins can be programmed for example to copy text or enable printing)
We can control the printing process and prevent print to file or print to PDF drivers from loading
We can control the use of third party screen grabbers
We are not exposed to PDF security weaknesses or poor implementations in the Adobe Acrobat application

Why does Locklizard not create password protected PDF files?

Locklizard uses public key technology as part of its DRM PDF protection technology. See our DRM technology.

We do not create password protectedpdf files because you can easily remove password protected PDF security using a PDF password recovery program and third party applications that don’t obey the ‘rules’. A password protectedpdf file secured with a user password (used to restrict access to certain functionality) can have restrictions (such as printing, copying, etc.) easily removed using a free password recovery program such as http://www.freemypdf.com/

A password protectedpdf secured with an owner password (this password must be entered to open the PDF file) can have its protection removed using a brute force/dictionary password cracker such as Elcomsoft PDF Password Recovery – http://www.elcomsoft.com/apdfpr.html. This product will even remove JavaScript protection used by some protectedpdf security products.