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USING ACROBAT 9 PRO
Security
In FIPS mode, you can open and view documents that are protected with algorithms that are not FIPS compliant.
However, you can't save any changes to the document using password security. To apply security policies to the
document, use either public key certificates or Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES.
FIPS mode is configured in the Windows registry by a system administrator. For more information, see Document
Security User Guide For Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader (PDF) at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
Securing documents with passwords
Add password security
You can limit access to a PDF by setting passwords and by restricting certain features, such as printing and editing.
Passwords cannot be added to a document if it is already signed or certified. Two types of passwords are available:
With a document open password (also known as a user password), users must type in the
Document open password
password you specify to open the PDF.
When you set only a permissions password (also known as a master password), recipients don't
Permissions password
need a password to open the document. However, they must type the permissions password to set or change the
restricted features.
If the PDF is secured with both types of passwords, it can be opened with either password. However, only the
permissions password allows the user to change the restricted features. Because of the added security, setting both
types of passwords is often beneficial.
All Adobe products enforce the restrictions set by the permissions password. However, if third-party products do not
support or respect these settings, document recipients are able to bypass some or all of the restrictions you set.
Important: If you forget a password, there's no way to recover it from the PDF. Consider keeping a backup copy of the
PDF that isn't password-protected.
Do one of the following:
1
• In a single PDF or component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF and choose Advanced > Security > Encrypt
With Password. (You can also choose File > Properties and select the Security tab.)
• In a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and choose File > Modify PDF Portfolio > Secure Portfolio. In the
Security Method menu, select Password Security.
Note: If these options are unavailable, it's either because the document or PDF Portfolio already includes security settings,
or the PDF was created in LiveCycle Designer ES.
2
If you receive a prompt, click Yes to change the security.
Select a compatibility level. This option sets the encryption level and key size.
3
Encryption algorithm and key size are version specific. Ensure that your encryption level is equal to or lower than the
recipients' version of Acrobat or Reader.
Select the document components to encrypt.
4
To allow the document contents to be searched, leave the metadata unencrypted. To create security envelopes, use
Encrypt Only File Attachments.
Select the type of password to add, and then type the password in the corresponding field. If you are setting a
5
permissions password, determine the level of access.
Last updated 9/30/2011
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