Multi-Layer PDF File Security Question

Question

The company I work for forwards some monthly service invoices via email as .pdf files, as some customers still demand invoices in this manner.

Recently, one such email was intercepted, from the recipients system, and the bank routing information changed to a fraudulent account. Luckily, the bad guys reached out to our customer in an 'attempt' to explain the routing number change and our customer called us.

I am currently part of the team assembled to implement additional security procedures for this process, and am exploring avenues for additional layers of security for the process.

What I would like to know is if Adobe has moved beyond the basic password for pdf file security, which can be bypassed with any screen shot software, and into other methods that would prevent pdf file tampering?

I'm also open to any suggestions from this group of experts!

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance and'or suggestions!

MikelKlink · Accepted Answer

I keep wishing Adobe would develop a 'digital' watermark that would perform like a print one, and scramble or otherwise change the pdf image when captured or removed from the original file.

Well, digital signatures are something akin to that, aren't they?

If you manipulate the PDF, the corresponding entry on the Signature Panel shows that the signature is broken.

If you take screenshots or remove the signature, the signature is missing on the Signature Panel.

If you replace the signature by your own, the signature on the Signature Panel has the wrong signer.

The most important detail here is that the recipients of the PDF must be informed how to look for the signature and verify the signer.

Getting the company onboard for any level of customer training is a whole other issue! LOL

Whatever mechanism you eventually choose, your customers must be informed about it and learn to validate the document they receive. Thus, without some degree of training the additional security procedures you implement won't help a bit.

MikelKlink · Answer

You may consider applying a digital signature and teaching your customers to check for that signature.

What I would like to know is if Adobe has moved beyond the basic password for pdf file security, which can be bypassed with any screen shot software, and into other methods that would prevent pdf file tampering?

Adobe Acrobat (Reader) has been supporting digital signatures since the end of the last century.

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