What happens if your PDF file contains confidential information about your company, your tax return, teaching and learning materials or even your personal profile? You should know how to properly secure your PDF files, because attackers have numerous ways of decrypting them.
3 ways to unlock PDF files
There are three common methods that help to unlock PDF files.
- Google Drive
- Adobe Acrobat
- PDF password remover
Use Google Drive
If someone wants to open the protected PDF files with Google Drive, they must already have the file on their computer. Then, upload the PDF file to your Google Drive account. Then open the file with Google Chrome or another web browser. You can then use the print function to save the file as a new, unprotected version on your computer.
Use Adobe Acrobat
To use Adobe Acrobat to crack the password-protected PDF file, you must use the Pro or paid version.
After opening the PDF file, there is a security setting under the “Padlock” option with which you can change the security method. There you can select the option “No security” for the PDF files.
Use password remover
The same applies to the use of PDF password removers to open the secured PDF file. For advanced features, attackers must use the paid version. However, once they are done with the installations, they must have access to open the PDF files before they can change any other settings.
The only problem with all of the above solutions is that attackers must first enter the correct password to open the PDF files in order to crack the protected file. In other words, they must be the owner of the PDF file or the one who has the correct password to open the file.
So. password protection is the best method to protect your PDF files. However, if the PDF file is password protected, attackers will need to enter the correct password in order to edit, annotate or print it.
Protect PDF files with password protection in WordPress
If you run a WordPress website, it’s much easier to find an effective way to protect your PDF files. Password Protect WordPress is among the most reputable plugins that help thousands of WordPress users secure their files and content.
First, upload the PDF files you want to protect to your WordPress website. Now wrap this PDF file with the PPWP shortcode. This is a well-known technique to password protect partial content on your pages and posts. However, many users also find this method useful for protecting PDF files.
You have the option to add some of the descriptions above the shortcode for the introduction.
Put some description here (optional) [ppwp passwords=123 headline= "Protected File" Description ="Enter password to unlock and download this file" cookie=1 download_limit=1] <a href="your-file-URL"> Your file name </a> [/ppwp]
Enter the desired password in the [ppwp passwords=123] field. In this example, the correct password to open the PDF file is “123”. Once you have made all the settings, the preview of the password-protected PDF files on your pages will look like this.
If you now enter “123” in the password form, the PDF file will be displayed immediately.
If you want to protect your PDF files even more, install Prevent Direct Access (PDA) Gold to protect your PDF files or other media files in your media library.
Once you have set up PDA Gold on your website, you can upload PDF files to the media library or embed them in any posts and pages. Simply click the “Protect this file” checkbox when editing or uploading and your files will be protected.
Anyone trying to access your protected files will be redirected to 404 error pages. With the combination of these two powerful plugins, Password Protect WordPress and PDA Gold, you can prevent files from being copied, edited, printed or even downloaded.
Conclusion
Although there are many methods available on the internet, none of them can really remove the protection of password-protected PDF files. A simple method or third-party tools may not work if your PDF file requires a password to open.
It would be better to use security tools to lock your PDF files. WordPress users rely on Password Protect WordPress and Prevent Direct Access as double protection for their files. And you should do the same.
Install Password Protect WordPress and Prevent Direct Access now to reduce the risk of protected PDF files being unlocked without permission.
