Password protect an Adobe PDF
Password protect and encrypt your Adobe PDFs to ensure your privacy, protect your data, and secure intellectual or sensitive information. It is used to protect documents in transit (i.e. sent via email) and at rest (i.e. stored on a disk or in the cloud) from being accessed by unauthorized users. When you encrypt sensitive data, you severely decrease the risk of having it leaked. A hacker will not be able to make sense of your files.
IMPORTANT: Store this password in a safe place and remember that it is case sensitive. If you have forgotten or lost this password it cannot be recovered, and you will not be able to view your pdf.
- Open the PDF in the Adobe Acrobat software (not Adobe reader).
- Click Tools.
- Click Protect on the right-hand side.
- Select Protect Using Password.
- Select Editing, then type and retype your password, and then click Apply.
NOTE: Your password must be at least six characters long. The password strength is displayed next to your password to indicate whether the chosen password is weak, medium, or strong. - Acrobat displays a confirmation message that the file was successfully protected using password.
NOTE: If you receive a prompt, click Yes to change the security.
