One of the major benefits of publishing in PDF format is the ability to maintain security and propriety over a document's content. But implementing security – especially the right type of security–can be a complex process. Not only does Acrobat and Adobe's LiveCycle suite offer security features, but there are also several third-party products that can help you keep your PDF documents secure.

Acrobat and LiveCycle

When authoring a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat 7, basic security measures allow you a wide range of options. The major Adobe security breaches of years past have largely been solved in Adobe Acrobat 7 and Reader 7, though some new features introduced in this series are not backwards compatible with older versions.

Acrobat 7 affords the user several security options. Policies can be set not just for individuals, but for an entire company or user group to standardize document security protocols. Acrobat 7 allows the user to:

• Limit printing
• Limit selection and copying of text
• Prevent users from signing a document
• Prevent users from filling in forms electronically
• Prohibit changes to the document
• Prohibit document splicing and merging
• Digitally sign a document
• Implement real-time authentication when the document is opened
• Prevent editing of only certain sections of a document.
• And more

There are four basic settings when choosing security in an Adobe document (File > Document Properties > Security).

Use a batch tool to change PDF security settings. Click here to read more.

No security leaves the document unmanaged. This method is appropriate for general release documents and non-sensitive information.

Password security requires the reader to supply the appropriate password when opening a document.

Certificate security allows access by examining the certificates they hold. User certificates are assigned to a list that identifies who is authorized to view the document.

Policy Server is Adobe's server-based security that allows you to assign different permissions for different users or groups that can access the document.

PDF Shows Up on the Homeland Security Map. Click here to read more.

Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server

With Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server (ALPS), larger organizations can control access for large sets of users. Authors can create dynamic access permissions and audit a document's use throughout its lifecycle, meaning you can control and track how your intended recipients are using your documents.

LiveCycle applies security policies to a document. A security policy is an adjustable profile that defines security settings (such as Acrobat's, mentioned above). Security policies are reusable, and they remain unaltered no matter how many times the document is emailed or accessed.

Security policies can connect directly to ALPS, which will act as an authenticator for the policy. Recipients of the PDF documents must have an account on your ALPS in order to open and use the PDF documents that the server manages. The security policies for those server-managed documents can be changed dynamically. In a nutshell, this means you can use ALPS to change the security policies on remote documents that have already been published and may reside, quite literally, anywhere.

Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server can enable you to:

• Manage the security access of former employees, or employees who have changed roles in your organization
• Track a recipient's use of a document
• Impose expiration dates for documents
• And more

To learn more about LiveCycle, check out the Adobe Web site.

Next Page: Third Party PDF Security Solutions