On Apr 29, 2012, at 12:06 PM, Vince LaMonica wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Apr 2012, Macs R We wrote:
>
> } I routinely used password-protected PDFs for sensitive information and am
> unaware that they are "easily hackable." Can you cite a reference?
>
> There are many hacks for it, but this is legit commercial software which
> will open password-protected PDFs w/o an issue:
>
> http://elcomsoft.com/apdfpr.html
>
> [standard edition only gives access to password-protected features like
> copy/print/etc; the $99 version allows one to open a PDF that can't be
> opened w/o a password].
>
> There are also websites where one can upload a password-protected PDF, and
> get back a non-password protected copy.
>
> PDF security is an illusion, unfortunately.
Here's what I have found by reviewing these tools and sites, including the one
you singled out: Most of the PDF-cracking tools available defeat only the
restrictions on copying or printing. If you have a PDF that needs a password
before you can open and view it, the "easy hacks" routinely fail, and these
tools are forced to fall back on standard dictionary and brute-force password
cracking technology, which may or may not succeed. I have seen nothing so far
that would affect my opinion that PDFs are no easier to crack than any other
encrypted file type, provided you choose proper passwords. If there is a
specific tool or upload site that will deterministically or even routinely
crack the opening password of a PDF, I have not yet found it.
--
Macs R We -- Personal Macintosh Service and Support
in the Wickenburg and far Northwest Valley Areas.
http://macsrwe.com
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