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1. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
George_Johnson Dec 1, 2011 11:42 AM (in response to FormUser)If you want to add security so that a password is required to open the document, you can apply standard password security using Acrobat or some other capable software. If the document has existing security applied it will need to be removed for you to be able to do this.
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2. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
FormUser Dec 1, 2011 2:12 PM (in response to George_Johnson)Sorry, but the response misses the point. Here is the scenario step-by-step.
The form designer distributes the fillable pdf form freely via the web. The non-filled in form is not password protected.
The form user uses Adobe Reader to fill in the form. Now the filled in form has to emailed, which is not very secure. So the form user wants to protect the filled in form with a password. The form user then sends the password with a second, separate email.
How does the form user protect the filled-in form with a password?
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3. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
FormUser Dec 1, 2011 2:15 PM (in response to FormUser)Can the form designer add a user right so that Adobe Reader can protect the filled in form with a password?
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4. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
Claudio González Dec 1, 2011 2:15 PM (in response to FormUser)The form user would need Acrobat or anoth capable software to do this...
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5. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
George_Johnson Dec 1, 2011 2:35 PM (in response to FormUser)That's not possible with just Reader. What is possible and can be secure is setting up the form to submit to a web server using a secure protocol (HTTPS/SSL). The form can be set up to submit just the form data or the entire PDF.
If you want the entire PDF, the document will have to be Reader-enabled using Acrobat, bit this comes with licensing restrictions. In short, if you distribute an enabled document to more than 500 reciptients (as you do when you make it publicly available on a web site), you are limited to using no more than 500 instances of the document that has been returned to you. If fewer than 500 recipients, there is no restriction.
If you set it up to submit just the form data, you can import it into a blank form and the fields will be populated with the data. In this case, the document does not need to be Reader-enabled so there are no licensing restrictions. But you will need a script on the web server that processes the submission and saves the data file in either case.
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6. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
FormUser Dec 2, 2011 1:17 PM (in response to George_Johnson)I think the following should be on the wish list for the next generation Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader.
Adobe Acrobat should be able to generate a fillable pdf form with a user right so that Adobe Reader can protect the filled-in form with a user defined password.
Then there is no need for any web-server security features. The protected filled-in form can be emailed, and the password can sent by separate email or some other means. You can do this with MS Word today, I am surprised Acrobat/Reader cannot do it.
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7. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
Claudio González Dec 2, 2011 1:53 PM (in response to FormUser)If you want Adobe to receive your suggestion, you should post it here:
https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform
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8. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
~graffiti Dec 2, 2011 3:36 PM (in response to FormUser)FormUser wrote:
Then there is no need for any web-server security features. The protected filled-in form can be emailed, and the password can sent by separate email or some other means. You can do this with MS Word today, I am surprised Acrobat/Reader cannot do it.
I wish it were that easy and dependable.
If you are sending personal information you should use a secure server. Never depend on Adobe PDF security since in many cases, it can be easily circumnavigated.
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9. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
~graffiti Dec 2, 2011 3:39 PM (in response to ~graffiti)Of course the same could be said about an MS Word document. There is software out there that can get around passwords.
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10. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
FormUser Dec 3, 2011 1:31 PM (in response to ~graffiti)Password protected is always more secure than without. How much more secure depends on implementation.
Do a good job with Acrobat/Reader , Adobe , and give us users high security!
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11. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
Claudio González Dec 3, 2011 1:54 PM (in response to FormUser)Only fellow users here. If you want Adobe to hear you, please use the link I gave in my previous message...
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12. Re: How to Protect a Filled In Form with a Password
FormUser Dec 4, 2011 3:52 PM (in response to Claudio González)I filed the 'password protection for fillable pdf form' suggestion under Acrobat (rather than Reader). Curious what will come to fruition...



