Secure PDFs
Protect, redact and unlock PDFs — and decide when a password is worth it. Guides to handling sensitive documents without leaking them.
Latest in Security
7 articles
PDF Permissions: Open Password vs Owner Password
Protecting a PDF involves two locks, and they do different jobs. Confusing them is how a file ends up printable by everyone or editable by no one.
SecurityHow to Password-Protect a PDF — and What It Protects
A PDF password can mean two very different things: a lock on opening the file, or a rule book about what readers may do with it. Knowing which one you need — and what neither can protect you from — changes how you use it.
SecurityIs It Safe to Upload PDFs to Online Tools?
Every online PDF tool asks you to hand over your file. That is fine for a takeout menu and not fine for a passport — here is how to tell which side of that line a service sits on.
SecurityRedact a PDF So the Text Is Really Gone
A black rectangle is not redaction — the text underneath is still selectable. This tool removes it from the file.
SecurityUnlock a PDF: Remove a Password You Know
An open password protects the file; restriction flags only limit the buttons. Both can be cleared when the document is yours.
SecurityRedaction Check: Prove the Text Is Really Gone
Drawing a black box is the easy part. The file is only redacted once the text underneath is gone from the download and from the properties.
SecurityUnlock a PDF You Own: Fix the Right Lock
There are two locks in a PDF: the password that opens it and the flags that restrict printing or copying. Unlocking the wrong one changes nothing.