Protect PDF
Lock a PDF with a password using AES-256 encryption.
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Processed and handed straight back. Nothing is written to disk.
About protect pdf
This locks a PDF with a password using AES-256, the same encryption standard used for classified material. Without the password the file cannot be opened at all — not by any reader, and not by anyone who obtains a copy.
Printing and copying stay allowed by default, since the usual goal is to stop the wrong person opening the file rather than to restrict what the right person can do with it. There is a checkbox if you also want to permit editing.
Worth knowing before you use it: the password cannot be recovered. There is no reset, no backdoor and no way for anyone to help you — that is what makes the encryption worth having. Store it somewhere safe before you send the file.
Questions about protect pdf
What happens if I forget the password?
The file cannot be opened, by you or anyone else. Strong encryption has no backdoor. Always keep a copy of the password, and consider keeping the original unprotected file somewhere safe.
How strong is the protection?
AES-256, which is the strongest encryption the PDF standard supports and is not feasible to break by guessing.
Can the recipient still print it?
Yes. Printing and copying are permitted once the file is open. Only opening it requires the password.