In the technology age, data tampering is becoming easy. It draws serious attention to securing documents like PDFs. Since professionals love PDFs for archiving, sharing, and managing information. Unfortunately, misuse of data is indispensable. Here, users look for how to apply password to PDF file to ensure data privacy or protection. Whether it’s business or ordinary needs, applying a PDF password acts as a shield for safeguarding the data. This article will provide complete steps guidance for inserting the password on a sensitive PDF document.
Why Should You Password-Protect a PDF?
Before getting into how to apply password to PDF, it is first important to understand the need for protecting a PDF with a password. Moreover, securing the document is essential for many reasons. Whether it’s an ordinary or confidential PDF, protection is crucial for safeguarding your private data from tampering or leakage. Here are the common reasons for applying password on PDF:
Data Protection
PDF files frequently comprise sensitive information like customer data, monetary information, lawyers’ information, exclusive commercial enterprise content, etc. By implementing a password, professionals can ensure data security or privacy.
Compliance with Regulations
Sectors like finance, healthcare, and legal services need to comply with data protection laws such as GDPR, HIPAA, etc. If you want to continue being compliant, password-protecting PDFs does help. Hence, applying the PDF password remains essential for data security.
Prevents Unauthorized Sharing
Even if unauthorized users access PDF, the protection prevents them from tampering with the data. In other words, document security ensures authenticity, file integrity, and safeguards PDF formatting while sharing.
Overall, these are the common benefits of applying PDF password. In this way, you can protect the document from direct or malicious access at once. Now, let’s move down to discover the types of passwords.
Types of PDF Document Passwords
It’s important that you know the types of passwords to help you determine the way to apply a password to a PDF file:
Open Password (User Password):
This provides a restriction to open the PDF file, asking for a password to open the file.
Permissions Password (Owner Password):
This denies editing, copying or printing without permission, but viewing is allowed.
Depending on the nature or confidentiality of the document, you can apply the PDF password in batch mode. Now, let’s dive in to find out the methods for how to apply password to PDF file.
How to Apply Password to PDF File – 3 Easy Ways
Whether you want to set a password to an existing PDF file via desktop applications, free online tools, or built-in utilities, there are various options to password-protect a PDF file. By using these methods, you can instantly apply password on any document without any data loss or formatting error. Now, let’s read the section below for applying the document password with ease.
Method 1: How to Apply Password to PDF – Adobe Acrobat Tool
Ideal for: Professionals and businesses that convert and process PDF documents daily.
Adobe Acrobat Pro is the ultimate tool for effective PDF management. Using this advanced tool, you can ensure data protection or maintain privacy while applying a strong PDF password. Moreover, this robust software allows you to add both a user and an owner password in batch mode. In other words, this tool offers an extensive range of features, ensuring data integrity and formatting with ease.
Additionally, this tool is premium, mainly used by professionals for protecting PDFs. Using this software, you can add a custom password without any error. Here are the steps for how to apply password to PDF file using Acrobat Tool:
- Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Go to File > Tools > Encrypt > add Open Password.
- Fill in the Password + Repeat Password slightly different.
- Click Apply.
- Lastly, download the password-protected PDF files!
Tip: Use the option Permissions to assign some restrictions to printing and changing the file without blocking viewers from having it open.
Method 2: How to Apply Password on PDF Using Free Online Tools
Good for: Free for use without any software installation.
If searching for how to apply password to PDF file, try free online PDF locking tools iLovePDF, Smallpdf, PDF24 Tools, etc. Using these free solutions, you can easily upload or apply a password to your confidential document. Moreover, these free tools allow professionals to insert an open or permission password at once. Additionally, there is no need to run any software or sign up.
Most importantly, there is no file restriction so use these tools for applying password. Here are the general steps for how to apply PDF password online:
- Visit the tool’s website.
- Upload your PDF file.
- Enter your desired password.
- Hit the Protect or Encrypt PDF button.
- Download the protected PDF File
Warning: Do not use online tools for confidential documents, as there is a high risk of data leakage and tampering. Look for the section below for protecting PDFs with robust security.
Methods 3: How to Apply PDF Password – SysTools PDF Protecting Tool
To make PDF read only or password protected, use SysTools PDF Locker, one of the top-notch and secure software solutions. Using this advanced tool, you can apply PDF password, including open password or owner permissions in batch mode. With this pro software, you can ensure data integrity. More than this, the tool provides the feature to create a custom password for the confidential PDF document, ensuring top-tier security.
Additionally, you can preserve the PDF formatting and essential components. Most importantly, this tool is designed for the Windows OS. So, use the demo version of this software to apply the document password securely.
Guide to Apply PDF Document Password
- Download the SysTools PDF Protecting tool.
- “Add Files” feature for uploading sensitive files.
- “Change” button to find the location for the output file.
- Go to “Open Document Password” > enter passkey.
- Lastly, use the Lock button to apply PDF password.
Final Words
In the above guide, we have shared 3 ways on how to apply password to PDF file. By using these methods, you can insert the necessary password into your confidential document. Compared to all, consider SysTools PDF locking solution, it is a secure, fast, and cost-effective way for applying PDF password in batch mode.
