How to Password Protect PDF Files (+With and Without Adobe Acrobat)

You do not want your sensitive data, especially when sharing PDF files, to fall into the wrong hands.

The solution is to protect the file, but how can you password-protect PDF files as they are part of the paid Adobe version?

You can also use a third-party app like Password Protect PDF.

Why Encrypt PDF Files

Encrypting PDF files is crucial for protecting sensitive information, as the digital world is very vulnerable.

By implementing encryption, you can protect your confidential documents from unauthorized access and ensure they remain secure and private.

Encrypting a PDF file prevents unauthorized viewing, sharing, or copying of documents and prevents a security breach. In the professional world, this is crucial when handling sensitive information in finance, legal services, and healthcare.

Furthermore, it supports regulatory compliance requirements, as many industries mandate strict data protection standards. Encryption can help an organization meet its legal and professional guidelines.

Adding a layer of security protects valuable information and demonstrates a commitment to responsible data management.

How to Password Protect PDF Files Without Adobe

One easy way to password-protect PDF files is to use our microapp. With it, you can create a password and encrypt your PDF files to apply various restrictions and control access to your sensitive information. Here are the detailed steps to get started:

Upload PDF: Click the browse button to select the PDF file you want to upload to the app.

Set Password: To encrypt your PDF file, choose a strong password. You can also use the Generate Random Password buttons. Enter the password twice to confirm it.

Additional Options: You can customize the PDF permissions by selecting various options, such as restricting printing.

Encrypt PDF File: Now that you have your restriction settings and password, click the Encrypt PDF button to complete the process.

Download Encrypted PDF: Once done, you can now download your protected PDF file for safekeeping or sharing.

As you can see, the process is straightforward without complications, but what about using Adobe?

How to Password Protect PDF Files With Adobe

Another way to encrypt PDF files is to use the paid version, as the free version does not offer password protection.

Open Document in Acrobat: Once you open your document, click the Menu icon at the top-left corner and select Protect Using Password.

Choose Restrictions: If you want the recipient to use a password to view the document, you can select viewing or edit instead.

Add Your Password: Type in a strong password and retype it. The program informs you how strong a password you have. Then click apply to use the password and save it.

You may find that some documents, like editable forms, do not offer password protection, as you will get an error. The message will read the file could not be saved as there is a bad parameter.

Still, you can save a copy of your received file and password-protect it. You will click on the menu icon and move to save as other. Then, select one of the different types of PDF formats.

To try to password-protect it again, you must give it a different name and open the copy in Acrobat.

Two Types of Adobe PDF Passwords

Over the years, Adobe added several security measures to help secure documents. The earlier version had no access controls, but later, passwords were added and became a popular access control tool.

Another security measure was digitally signing the document to prevent tampering. Nowadays, you can use two levels of security to help password-protect your PDF.

The Open Document Password

It is also known as the owner or user password and controls who opens the PDF document. You will need the correct password to open your document as a user.

Permission Password

The master password controls what you can do with the document, such as printing or editing. When a permission password is present, you do not need the password to open the document. 

However, it does control editing, printing, and more. Still, to restrict anything else, you must reset or change the password by typing it in.

Wrap-Up: Why Choose Our Microapp For Password Protection

The older version of Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free tool for printing, viewing, annotating, and signing PDFs. However, the latest versions do not allow you to limit access to a document with passwords.

You can lock your file to send it as an email attachment; recipients need to download it to enter the password for viewing content.

Acrobat is not recommended as the best PDF password protection, as it does have some security flaws resulting from the tool.

These flaws occur within Adobe software, allowing attackers to crack or bypass passwords. For this reason, we recommend using an alternative, such as our Password Protect PDF app.