Learn how to create and apply security policies, which can include encryption, permission settings, and more.
In Adobe Acrobat 8, it's simple to apply one of the two preconfigured security policies, to create a new one with customized terms or to access and apply one from a policy server. Security policies include encryption, permission settings, and information about who can open the PDFs or change security settings.
You can create three types of security policies: password security (to password-protect documents), certificate security (to encrypt documents for a list of recipients) and Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server policies. Creating policies for password and certificate security lets you reuse the same security settings for a set of PDFs without having to change security settings for each. The policies for password and certificate security are stored on the local computer.
Click the Secure button in the Tasks toolbar and choose Manage Security Policies > Refresh Security Policies to ensure that you have access to the most up-to-date server policies. Then, click the Secure button in the Tasks toolbar and choose a policy. Click OK to any warnings about changing the security for the document.
In the Secure menu, you can identify organizational policies by the Enterprise Policy icon, and user policies by the Personal Policy icon.
Choose Advanced > Security > Manage Security Policies. Select a policy, and then click Apply To Document.
Click Secure on the toolbar and choose Manage Security Policies.
Click New, and select the type of security you want.
Click Next, and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the policy and choose the desired security settings.
Choose Advanced > Security > Manage Security Policies.
* If you want to specify passwords and restrictions whenever you apply this policy to a document, deselect Save Passwords With The Policy.
* If you want to save passwords and restriction settings with the policy, select Save Passwords With The Policy.
Specify a compatibility setting and password options. If you selected Save Passwords With The Policy, specify the password and restrictions. Click Next.
Review the policy details, and then click Finish.
If you want to specify recipients whenever you apply this policy to a document, select Ask For Recipients When Applying This Policy, and click Next.
If Ask For Recipients When Applying This Policy is not selected, specify recipients by selecting the digital IDs you want to use to encrypt the document (including your own digital ID), and click Next.
When you create a user policy using the Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server, you're redirected to the Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server web page.
Select Use The Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server, and click Next.
On the Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server web page, click Policies, and then click New.
When you're done, click Save at the top of the page.
The original file, which isn't protected and which has its original filename.
The protected file, which automatically includes "(secured)" in the filename.
The security envelope, which automatically includes "Envelope" in the filename.
For example, [original file name]Envelope.pdf.