Are you locked out of a PDF – the type of file that has been around for almost 30 years? Or do you need to edit a PDF, and it is encrypted? In this article, you will learn how easy it is to unlock a PDF for editing and get on with your work.
Why Do People Use PDFs?
Portable Document Format files are usually encrypted for security since they are multi-layered documents that unify into one. They are accessible by any software application and any device without having to download a specific reader and are used by many due to their accessibility and convenience.
The later versions of PDFs developed better transparency models where new objects can blend with older objects on other layers and produce flawless blending effects. Due to the many layers a PDF can hold, Adobe introduced better security for the documents. The files provide security of two different methods and two different passwords.
- A User Password: Encrypts the file and prevents unwarranted opening.
- An Owner Password: Specifies operations that should be restricted despite the decryption. That includes editing, printing, or copying the contents of the file.
Encryption of any kind does not occur for owner passwords, and they rely entirely on client software to respect the given restrictions. They are easily removed and thus are not extremely secure.
PDF Security
PDFs have time and again proven to be a safe and convenient way to store and send data. This is because the document format was developed to work independently of the software application and the device they are accessed. They are multi-layered, fixed-layout flat documents that host text and images of most formats.
For this reason, PDFs contain a lot of data and are constantly used for confidential data. Before we unwrap ways to unlock a PDF document, let’s look at why the security of the files is important.
- Maintains integrity of the content.
- To limit access of users.
- To protect the copyright.
- Ensures PDF compliance.
- To cut off unwanted document sharing.
- Avoid unwarranted document printing.
- It prevents caching when viewing the document online.
Although encryption is used to secure PDF documents, it is safer to enforce advanced controls to prevent users from inappropriately using the data. PDF security is multi-faceted and may contain encryption, permissions, DRM controls, restrictions, public key technology, licensing controls, and password protection. How effective the security tools are will depend on which ones are used, and if they can be easily removed, they add no value.
Ultimately, the reason behind the security is subjective, and for whatever reasons, sometimes we need to unlock the PDF. Let’s look at how we can go about it.
Use Safe Online Tools
Yes, there are online options to unlock your secure PDF. Should you trust all of them? Maybe not. Most online options tend to either give you unwanted programs to download with your document or steal the data from your document. You may think that your data is not important enough to be used against you or used in general at all, but be warned.
Data theft is not a matter to take lightly, and you should be vigilant of the applications you use that could sell your data to third-party applications.
Only a handful of websites like pdf.io give you the safe choice of unlocking a document without any risks.
- Go to pdf.io and select your pdf that needs to be unlocked.
- The website offers the users the choice between files on the personal device, GoogleDrive, DropBox, and URLs.
- Please wait for the website to skillfully unlock your document and download it!
In three simple steps, you can unlock your document for free and in a secure manner.
Try Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is the developer of PDF format, and it’s safe to use their services to unlock your pdf.
- Open your PDF in Acrobat.
- Use the “Unlock” tool:
Choose “Tools” > “Protect” > “Encrypt” > “Remove Security.”
- In order to remove security:
The options vary depending on the type of password security attached to the document.
- If the document has a Document Open password, click “OK” to remove it from the document.
- If the document has a permissions password, type it in the “Enter Password” box, then click “OK.” Click “OK” once more to confirm the action.
But what will you do if you have a password-protected file and you don’t know or have forgotten the password?
Conclusion
Please bear in mind that if you don’t have a password for your protected PDF document, it may be illegal to unlock it by other means. In any case, it is simple to get past most security barriers just by using simple software and websites. Whether you need to convert them into a word document to edit the text or to be able to copy the text simply, you now know how to go about it! Your solution is easy, quick and all you really need is a computer!
