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Securing PDF documents for one user

Forum Index > Security > Securing PDF documents for one user
2009-06-26 05:55:33
mediartis
Registered: Jun 26 2009
Posts: 3

Hi!

Can I secure my PDF documents so that only one user can access it?

Let me explain...

I'm working on some forms that are really inventive (some automatic calculations, timesavers in really large projects). I want to distribute this pdf form only to users who paid for it. I don't want to let that user to copy files to another computer or to another user. So, is there any way of doing it?

Thanks in advance...

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.0, Windows
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2009-06-26 06:34:39
#1
UVSAR
Expert
Registered: Oct 29 2008
Posts: 1357
Using DRM (applied using a server solution, and it'll cost you dearly for that) you can lock the opening of a PDF to a particular personal security certificate, but you cannot prevent anyone copying that file to another computer - whomever has a copy of the certificate can open the file, and cert keyfiles are portable, but you could at least disable access if you found someone breaking your rules.

The drawback with PDF DRM is that you'll have to issue certs to every customer, and that's neither cheap nor easy if they're outside your organisation.

Without DRM there's no way to localise access or revoke permissions on a disk-based file, PDF or otherwise.
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2009-07-16 09:17:02
#2
olivera
Registered: Jul 16 2009
Posts: 26
UVSAR wrote:
Using DRM (applied using a server solution, and it'll cost you dearly for that) you can lock the opening of a PDF to a particular personal security certificate, but you cannot prevent anyone copying that file to another computer - whomever has a copy of the certificate can open the file, and cert keyfiles are portable, but you could at least disable access if you found someone breaking your rules.The drawback with PDF DRM is that you'll have to issue certs to every customer, and that's neither cheap nor easy if they're outside your organisation.

Without DRM there's no way to localise access or revoke permissions on a disk-based file, PDF or otherwise.
DRM technologies are not always server-based .

Searching the web I've found very good article about drm packages comparison on
http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/pdf-security-and-drm-packages-in-depth-comparison-599766.php
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