PDF Security Software


Can PDF be protected from downloaders?

Yes. By not embedding normal PDF on the web page and instead using PDF security software to securely encrypt your PDF documents, even if your PDF is located, it will not be of any use without the proprietary viewer to decrypt them and if domain lock is used then the only way that anyone can view the document will be from your web page. Today there is only one PDF security solution that can display PDF on web pages securely due to modern web browser limitations. Other solutions have to resort to using JavaScript which, while it may be supported across all browsers and computer operating systems, cannot do much beyond making it awkward to right click and save or print. Otherwise, anything protected by JavaScript will not be protected at al.

Can PDF distributed on disk be protected?

Yes. There are some CD protection solutions that provide a layer of security in the format of the disk itself, whether it is on CD, DVD or USB drive. The more secure of these solutions provide specially prepared media (disks) and special software for disk production. The method employed by these solutions obscures the content by storing key information in segments on the disk that are not usually interpreted by disk copying software. When techniques like these are used for popular media such as music or movie files, then software will surely be published to get around even this most clever protection technique. Using a low profile solution may survive longer.

But as usual, once a file on a protected disk has been opened in its viewing application or native program, then its contents can still be used without permission, unless copy protection is employed for the file itself.

Also, once the file is opened, it may be possible to copy the file to another location (off the protected disk) for redistribution by sending onward to other people. The only way to prevent redistribution of files in this sense is to use a DRM (digital rights management) solution. When this happens, even if they can get a copy of the file, sending it others will be futile because the next person will not be able to access it.

Summation

Copy protection, like any form of security or measure taken to prevent theft or unauthorized use, can never be 100% secure. Some may say, "In that case, why bother?" and others hope that nothing was in their way to do whatever they want with the intellectual property of others and your livelihood.

But why make is it easy for them? There is a lot that we can do and most security measures that we can employ on the Internet will protect your property from most Internet users (+92%). Very few, even those who may have the skills and know how, will want to go to great lengths to get around your security and if done carefully, your security measures can be so difficult to get around that the effort required will not be profitable for them and they will lose interest.

For the best and most secure PDF security software, please see CopySafe PDF.

Author: William Kent
Date: 8th August 2019


Return to DRM and Copy Protection


Comments


Mustafa 2019-08-14
We use Copysafe PDF for our exam study courses and find the DRM management of our users most sophisticated. I doubt if any other DRM service can even come close in comparison!

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