Certificate Security - Adobe 22002484 Manual

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Certificate Security

Acrobat users can perform any task in this section. Adobe Reader users can only view encrypted
documents and not encrypt them for others.
If you share documents that require high security, you may need certificate security. Businesses use
certificate security because a public key infrastructure (PKI) enables central management by an
administrator. The administrator can set up an LDAP directory server for providing certificate access, create
custom certificates for specialized workflows, and so on. Where secure PDFs do not have to be compatible
with Acrobat versions prior to 6.0, certificate security has several advantages:
Different users can have different permission settings: Unlike password-based security which

applies permissions equally to everyone, certificate security allows authors to specify permissions for
individuals. For example, it is possible to give employees the ability to sign documents and fill in form
fields while giving only managers the ability to add comments or delete pages. Permissions are useful
for distributing documents to users that need varied document access and usage rights.
Superior security attributes: No password has to be remembered or shared as the public and private

keys to encrypt and decrypt documents reside only on the machines of those participating in secure
workflows. These keys are less susceptible to brute force discovery than passwords.
Note: Participants in a certificate security workflow must have a digital ID and cannot use
Acrobat versions prior to 6.0.
Figure 61 Certificate security workflow
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