Sharing sensitive documents? You need to understand PDF security. Here's a no-nonsense guide.
Password Protection
Two types: Open password (prevents opening) and Permission password (prevents editing/printing). Open passwords are strong; permission passwords are trivially bypassable with free tools. Don't rely on permission passwords alone.
Encryption
Modern PDFs support AES-256 encryption — the same standard used by banks. When you set an open password on a PDF, the content is encrypted. Without the password, the data is unreadable.
Metadata Risks
PDFs store metadata: author name, creation software, edit history, GPS coordinates (for scanned docs), and more. Before sharing sensitive PDFs, strip the metadata. Many people don't realize their full name and software version are embedded in every PDF they create.
Online Tool Safety
When using online PDF tools (including ours), check these: (1) Does the site use HTTPS? (2) Is there a clear privacy policy? (3) Are files deleted after processing? At {site}, all files are processed in real-time and immediately deleted — we never store your documents.