How to Create PDF Security

One of the biggest concerns for e-book authors, guide writers and webmasters is the need to protect copyrighted information online. Content that is ripped to PDF format is easy to read and download yet also easy to steal. When you publish an unprotected PDF file online, anyone in the world can take the file, print it and distribute it as he sees fit. So you need to prevent these actions. There are three easy ways to create security options for a PDF file.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Convert your file to PDF using Adobe's online Create PDF system. Create an account, log on and go to "Convert a File." Pick the file you want to convert. Supported formats include files created with Microsoft Office components, MS Publisher, Illustrator, InDesign, Framemaker, Pagemaker and many image formats. On the next page go to "Password Security Options" and select "No printing 128 bit" for Adobe 5.0 and above or "No printing 40 bit" for all other versions. The viewer will not be able to print your PDF file. Adobe's Create PDF allows you up to three free trials before having to pay the $9.99 per month fee.

2. Use Adobe Acrobat Pro to convert your PDF file. Go to "Advanced" on the main menu, then click "Security." Select "Password Security" (or similar depending on your version). Be sure that "Encrypt all document contents" is selected, and if you want users to have a password to open choose "Require a password to open." Finally, select "Restrict Editing and Printing."
   Here you can set a password to further disallow actions on the document, restrict printing, stop copy and pasting, and prohibit users from making changes to your document.

3. Use the Adobe Distiller standalone program to create PDF security on your file if you have an older version of Adobe Acrobat (this tool came with older Acrobat software packages). Before you convert the file to PDF navigate to "Settings > Security" (the menu may be slightly different depending on the version you have).
   Here you can make several choices--you can set a password to open the file as well as an administrator password, or encrypt the file so that it cannot be printed, copy and pasted, or changed by the viewer.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't want customers to even have the ability to save the file, you have to convert it to another format. Some e-book authors choose to convert content files to executable files (EXE format) that require passwords and cannot be saved or distributed by the user online. Instead, the file can only be viewed on a web browser. However, EXE files aren't always as accepted compared to PDF format.

References

• Create PDF Supported Formats

Resources

• Create Adobe PDF Online
• eBook Security Alternatives
• Adobe Acrobat Professional 9