Password Security by Default

Since upgrading to DC all of my PDF documents (created using a "save as" in Word and using the drop down menu to select PDF) - so I am both the author of the original document and the creater of the PDF copy and yet whatever settings are there by default, there's a password protection stopping me from even highlighting my own pdf documents,  I can't find anywhere in the settings to change the default.  I'm not adding it, it's just automatically part of every pdf created from my computer since the upgrade.  Does anyone have any advice?