Password Protect PDF: Encrypt & Lock Pdf with Password Safely

Higher Encryption Levels Comes with Higher Protection:

Kept in mind that there are different levels and types of pdf file encryption. The 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is indicated as the strongest and most secure level within PDF format, which even never been cracked. This entirely ensures that your file will be under the best protection as long as you people don’t forget your PDF file password. You can find that the Adobe PDF format previously make PDF password protected with 128-bit AES encryption, but it is no longer supported by the newer version PDF 2.0 format. Thankfully, you can now easily add password to PDF document and keep your data secure from external tampering by using an online PDF file locker.

Why Should Password Protect PDF?

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a universal format that swiftly and easily shares via email and the web. Besides that ease, you can find that PDFs can easily proliferate beyond their intended audience. To mitigate this risk, you should have to protect PDF with password. Once you encrypted PDF document with a free PDF protector online, people who enter the correct password capable to access the file or folder. File encryption is the strongest method, which completely transforms document content into unreadable chiper text.

How to Password Protect a PDF Online?

Just drag and drop a PDF document and let this online PDF password protector makes pdf encryption by adding a password online.

Step 1:

Add the PDF file into the toolbox that you want to password protect

Step 2:

Click on the “Settings”, add your PDF lock password, and hit the Save button

Step 3:

Download your encrypted PDF document by clicking Protect PDF button

How to Add password to PDF using Adobe Acrobat?

PDF password protection becomes easy with Adobe Acrobat, let’s find how:

A Single-Click option to protect a document with a password:

Open the PDF in Acrobat
Then, choose File > Protect Using Password option. Alternatively, you simply need navigate to Tools > Protect > Protect Using Password
Select in order to set password to PDF for Viewing or Editing the PDF
Now, you require to type and retype your PDF protect password. Keep in mind that your password for PDF file must be at least six characters long. The password strength is shown very next to your added password that indicates whether ther entered password is weak, medium, strong, or best
Finally, click Apple to password protect PDF with Adobe Acrobat. You can find that this program shows a confirmation message that the PDF was successfully encrypted using password

Advanced Password Protection with Adobe:

Step 1:

Open the PDF in Acrobat, and don one of the following to set password for PDF:

Simply navigate Tools > Protect > More Options > Encrypt with Password
Select File > Protect Using Password, and then simply choose Advanced Password Protection from More Options

Step 2:

If you receive a prompt, you need to make click on Yes to change the security for adobe password protect PDF

Step 3:

Now, you need to select Require A Password To Open the Document, then just type the password in the designated field. Make sure that your PDF password contains at least six characters long. For each keystroke, the advanced password strength meter entirely evaluates your password and even also indicates the password strength

Note: PDF Security Settings lets you set a password to open a PDF document

Step 4:

Then, you need to choose an Acrobat version from the given Compatibility drop-down menu. Now, simply choose a version equal to or even lower as compared to the recipient's version of Adobe Acrobat or Reader

The Compatibility option that you selected determines the type of PDF encryption used. Thus, it is crucial to choose a version that is compatible with the recipient’s version of either Acrobat or Reader. For instance, when it comes to Acrobat 7, it cannot open a PDF encrypted for Acrobat X and later versions.

Acrobat 6.0 And Later (PDF 1.5) encrypts PDF using 128-bit RC4
Acrobat 7.0 And Later (PDF 1.6) encrypts PDF using the AES encryption algorithm with a 128-bit key size
Acrobat X And Later (PDF 1.7) encrypts PDF using 256-bit AES. If you want to apply 256-bit AES encryption to PDF documents that created in Acrobat 8 and 9, you need to select Acrobat X and Later

Step 5:

Select an encryption option:

Encrypt All Document Contents: This allows you to encrypt the PDF document and even its metadata. If you selected this option, search engines cannot be able to access the document metadata.

Encrypt All Document Contents Except Metadata: It encrypts the contents of a PDF document but still lets search engines access the document metadata.

Encrypt Only File Attachments: It requires a password to open the document file attachments. Allow users to open the document without a PDF password. This encryption option can use to create security envelopes

Step 6:

Finally, Click OK. At the given prompt to confirm the password, all you need to simply retype the appropriate password for PDF in the box and click OK

Ultimately you come to know how to make password protected pdf on Adobe Acrobat.

How to Encrypt a PDF on Mac?

A built-in Preview program allows you to password-protect a PDF on Mac. Follow the given steps to set a password for opening, printing, or changing a PDF document:

Step 1: Open a PDF document in the Preview mac program

Step 2: Choose File > Export

If you want to make a password-protected copy and keep the original unencrypted PDF, simply enter a new name for the document

Step 3: Now, you need to make a click on the Permissions button, then stick with any of the following:

Set a password for PDF file for opening the document: You simply need to choose Require Password To Open Document. Then, enter a password and retype it to verify
Set permissions: All you need to choose the checkbox next to an action that lets printing or changes without the owner (admin) password. You simply require to leave the checkbox unselected to require the owner password

Step 4: very next, enter a password in the Owner Password box, then simply retype it to verify. It can be the same as or even different from any password that you already created in step 3

Step 5: Click Apply, then click Save to encrypt pdf free on Mac

You can find that all the changes take effect when the next time PDF document is opened. Well, follow the above steps to lock PDF on Mac.

Manage permissions for a PDF:

Right after setting an owner password for a PDF document, you can easily change the password-protection options or just create a new password. The changes will take effect the next time when the PDF is opened.

Step 1: In the Preview program, open a PDF

Step 2: Navigate to File > Edit Permissions, then do any of the following:

Set a password to open a PDF: Simply choose Require Password To Open Document. Then, add a password and retype it into the box to verify it
Choose which features require a password: You need to deselect the checkbox to attain the owner password for printing or other actions. You can leave the checkbox selected that allows changes without the password
Change the owner password: Simply enter a new owner password and then retype it to verify

Step 3: Click on Apply button to save your changes right there

How to Password Protect a PDF File Without Acrobat?

You can now easily encrypt PDF by using Microsoft Office’s Built-in Encryption Tool:

Using Microsoft Office 2010 allows you to password protect a PDF file exported from an MS Word document. To get started securing PDF files on the local computer:

At first, you need to open a Word document using Microsoft Word
Then, make click on the File and choose Save As
Now, you need to select browse where the PDF document will be saved
Pick PDF (*.pdf) from the Save as type drop-down menu
Then, hit the given Option button
Very next, you simply need to enable the Encrypt the document using a password option, then click OK
Finally, enter PDF password and re-enter again and click OK

Alternatively, you can use our PDF protector to password protect pdf free on Windows, so no one can access your encrypted PDF document.

FAQ’s:

What does it mean to Encrypt a PDF?

Encrypting an Adobe PDF document will entirely protects its content from unauthorized access. You can find that confidential PDF files can be encrypted and even protected with a password. Only individuals who know the correct password can decrypt, open, and view the protected documents.

Can password protected PDFs be hacked?

Research depicted that AES 128-bit and 256 bit protected PDF files can be cracked. This is all because it is only the password rather than the encryption algorithm that is cracked using dictionary and brute force attacks.

How to encrypt a pdf for free?

PDF password protection online and free is only a couple of steps away with the assistance of this best PDF locker.

Can I password protect PDF with Adobe free?

Use the Adobe PDF password protector tool to set passwords or permissions for your PDF documents. It allows users to prevent people from opening or even editing sensitive information. You can lock PDF right now using your browser.

How do I password protect a PDF on my phone?

An online PDF file locker allows encrypting PDF document by adding a password using your mobile (iphone, Android, etc).

Can a PDF be hacked?

Yes, this all because PDF files are universal in nature, hackers and bad actors can find different ways to use normally harmless files - same as dot-com files, JPG images, Gmail, and Bitcoin to simply create unauthorized security alerts through malicious code.

Is password protected PDF secure?

Format’s specifications revealed that Adobe PDF supports encryption using the AES algorithm with Cipher Block Chaining encryption mode. So, according to the theory, once you encrypt or password protect PDF file, it’s clear that only someone who has the correct password can access the file content.

Conclusion:

When it comes to securing PDF files from unauthorized attempts like copying or printing, you should have to password protect PDF online right now. Make couple of hits to encrypt PDF files by adding a strong password. Good Luck!