The easiest way to password protect/remove a PDF (free, no installation required)
Regarding PDF password protection, which is essential for businesses, we will explain in detail the difference between viewing passwords and privilege passwords, and the steps to set or cancel viewing restrictions and printing protection locally.
§1. I sympathize with this problem: The stress I feel every time I use a PDF password
My company instructed me to password-protect PDFs of important documents before sending them via email, but I don't have paid PDF editing software and don't know how to set a password.''
"Even though the documents are kept in-house, I am asked to enter the same password over and over again every time I open them, which makes my work inefficient and stressful..."
"I would like to put or remove password protection on a PDF, but security regulations prohibit uploading confidential estimates and contracts to free online conversion sites..."
There are many people who are caught between security and convenience when handling PDF files in their daily work. Password protection is essential to protect information, but it is a big problem that it requires expensive software and risks of information leakage every time you operate it.
§2. Explanation of the cause: How PDF passwords work and blind spots of online conversion sites
In order to put or remove a password on a PDF, you need to know how PDF encryption works and the risks of online services.
① Differences between the two types of passwords
You can set two different passwords for PDFs depending on the purpose.
- Viewing password (user password):
This is a restriction for opening files. It is used to prevent erroneous email transmissions.
- Authority password (owner password):
This is a restriction to prohibit "printing", "copying text", and "editing pages" after opening. Set this to prevent tampering or unauthorized reuse of the contents.
② Dangerous encryption and risks of online tools
To increase security, it is necessary to use the strong encryption standard AES-256. The old RC4 standard is not recommended as it can be parsed in seconds.
Also, many of the "free PDF conversion sites" that come up first in a search perform encryption and decryption processes by uploading them to a web server on the internet. This is the same as sending a confidential contract or an invoice containing personal information to an unknown server as raw data, and contains a serious security risk that violates the company's security policy.
§3． Tool-based solution: Manage passwords securely and instantly with ZeroTools
"I want to set and remove PDF passwords in a safe local environment without using paid software..."
Our site's PDF password setting/removal tool smartly solves this problem.
This tool uses JavaScript (pdf-lib) on your device (browser) to perform completely local AES-256 encryption/decryption processing. Files are never sent externally.
Password setting (encryption) procedure
1. Open PDF password setting/cancellation tool.
2. Load the PDF file you want to encrypt by dragging and dropping.
3. Enter the "viewing password" (if necessary, turn on the permission check to prohibit printing and copying).
4. Click "Encrypt and save PDF" to instantly download an encrypted PDF within your browser.
Steps to remove password
1. Load the protected PDF file.
2. Enter the correct current password to "unlock".
3. If you click "Remove password protection and save", the file will be saved as a PDF that can be opened directly next time without entering a password.
This is extremely useful when you want to take smart PDF security measures while protecting your company's confidential data. Please use it as an essential tool for office work.