How to Password Protect a PDF Effectively 【Proven】

Unauthorized access to PDF documents and other data that needs to be protected raises serious security and privacy concerns. In general, unauthorized access is often caused by the creator of a PDF file not using a password to protect the PDF file, which can reveal critical information of the organization or trigger other serious consequences. If you want to protect PDF files from unauthorized access once and for all, be sure to add a password to protect your PDF. If you don't know how to set a password for a PDF document, don't miss this article. We'll walk you through how to password-protect PDFS using both online and offline tools.

PART 1 How to Use GeekPDF for Offline password protection

GeekPDF - PDF Editor is one of the best one-stop PDF solutions. It helps users handle almost all PDF-related tasks safely, quickly and professionally. GeekPDF is a PDF creator, PDF converter and PDF manager. It has everything you need for a top PDF tool, such as creating and converting PDFS, splitting and merging PDFS, editing and annotating PDFS, printing PDFS, password protecting PDFS, OCR, sharing and compressing PDFS, and more. Whether you're working with personal PDF files or performing organizational tasks, GeekPDF-PDF editor is the ideal choice. Almost all the functions you need to process PDF, GeekPDF- PDF editor can meet you!

For details on how to password protect PDFS offline with GeekPDF, please refer to the following steps.

Step 1 Open the PDF file to be password protected

Install and launch GeekPDF on your Windows or Mac computer, and click "Open File" on the main screen to browse the PDF file that you want to password protect, then click "Open" to upload.

Step 2 Edit PDF (not mandatory)

Before setting a password for PDF, if you need to edit the text, images, changes, etc., of the PDF document, please click the "Edit" TAB on the toolbar of GeekPDF software. Then choose to add text, images, links, watermarks and other editing functions such as header and footer to edit PDF files according to your needs, which is very convenient.

Step 3 Set a password for the PDF

After editing the PDF, click the "Protect" > "Add Password" option. In the "Password Protection" dialog, GeekPDF provides "Set document opening password" and "Set document permission password" for users to choose. If you need to add a document password, enable "Open Password" and enter the password. If you need to add a permission password, select the Permission Password check box and enter the permission password. After the password is set, click the "Save" button to exit the "Security" dialog box and save it to the document.

Step 4 Save and use the password PDF

By following the steps above, the password has been added to the PDF. Go to the "File" menu and click "Save".

After using GeekPDF to password protect PDF offline, the system will prompt you to provide a password to open/view it when you open the PDF file. In addition, if you modify, edit, or attempt to print a password-protected PDF, you will also need to provide a password.

PART 2 How to Protect PDF Offline with Password

GeekPDF Converter is a widely used PDF conversion software. Its design is simple and efficient, PDF processing speed is fast, and the output effect is high quality, which is well received by users. It supports the conversion of PDF to Word, images and other mainstream file formats, or create PDF, merge and split PDF, compress and encrypt PDF files and other functions.

You can add password protection to PDF files according to the following steps.

Step 1 Open the PDF file that requires password protection

Install and start GeekPDF Converter on your Windows or Mac computer, click "Encrypt PDF">"Add" on the Home screen to browse the PDF file to be password protected, and then click "Open" to upload.

Step 2 Set Password for PDF

After uploading the file, click on "Conversion Presets">"Password", then set the password, and then browse the output folder in the "Directory" section. After completing the selection, click the "Encrypt" button to allow the program to add the password to the PDF file.

PART 3 How to Password Protect PDF Online

If you want to add password protection to PDF files online, HiPDF is a reliable online PDF software. Regardless of the brand of computer or smartphone, whether you're using Android or iOS operating systems, Windows or Mac operating systems, as long as you use your most popular browsers, such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, etc, you can convert, merge, compress, edit, OCR, sign, and protect PDFS with HiPDF. HiPDF provides online PDF processing services, convenient and fast.

Step 1 Open the PDF file

Use a browser to access the HiPDF protection page, click "Select File" to upload the PDF file that needs password protection, and click "Open" to upload the file.

Step 2 Set a password for the PDF

After the file is uploaded, click "Password" to enter the required password, click "Encryption", and the HiPDF online program will insert the password into the PDF file. After setting the PDF password, click the "Download" button to save the PDF file with the password to your device.

PART 4 Password Protection of Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is an advanced productivity suite, now renamed Microsoft 365, which consists of applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and OneDrive, and is available in home, enterprise and business versions. Microsoft Office has encryption tools that can encrypt Word, PPT, Excel, and PDF files to ensure document security. Password protection for Microsoft Office is secure and reliable.

How to protect Office documents with Microsoft Office passwords?

To protect Office documents with Microsoft Office, you can follow these steps.

Step 1 Encrypt the file using Microsoft Office Password Protection

Open any application in the Microsoft Office suite to view the PDF file and click on the main menu "File" > "Information" > "Protect Workbook "> "Encrypt with Password".

Step 2 Set Password for PDF

Enter and confirm the password used to encrypt the document in the pop-up window, and click "OK".

PART 5 How to Create a Password Protected PDF File

Microsoft Office programs are not suitable for working with PDF files. But you can use it to protect PDFs. However, you need to be aware that once password protection is established, the document format will change. In fact, the industry's many specialized PDF management software, such as geek PDF, or the MacOS preview application can help you more easily and efficiently manage PDF files.

1. Use the Preview app of MacOS to create a password-protected PDF file

Step 1 Open "Export..." Options

After opening MacOS, open the PDF file through the Preview application. Then click "File" > "Export..." Options

Step 2 Set a password for the PDF

In the window that appears, select the export feature, enable the "Encryption" option, enter the password to encrypt the document, and click "Save".

2. Create a password-protected PDF file with GeekPDF

Step 1 Open the PDF document that requires password protection
Install and launch GeekPDF on your device, and open the PDF files that need password protection. Then click the "Protect" > "Add Password" option.

Step 2 Set Password for PDF

Follow the prompts to enter the password for encrypting the document and click "Save" to restrict access to read, write, and even print PDF documents.

Summary

We have provided you with a detailed introduction to several simple and effective methods for protecting files with passwords, such as Preview, Microsoft Office, and GeekPDF. These commonly used PDF editing applications include PDF encryption tools, which are convenient and practical. Hopefully to protect your PDF documents with a password to ensure their security.