PDF Encryption and Decryption - Which One is Better?

In this ever-changing information age, securing the data becomes a challenge for many. Here, PDFs are commonly used for sharing, managing, and storing wide information including confidential ones. It is a flexible and highly compatible file format, allowing you to organize the data with ease. Many of you might get confused between PDF encryption and decryption. In this tutorial, we will share a detailed understanding of these terminologies. Now, let’s dive to know which one is better and how to use them effectively. 

Why Is Securing PDFs Necessary?

To secure the sensitivity of the PDF document, it becomes essential to create a protected PDF file. It stops unauthorized actors from breaching and performing malicious activities. Documents with confidential data such as financial reports, intellectual property data, copyright data, legal reports, etc are managed by strong protection. In the absence of security, the chances of data vulnerabilities or anonymous interference become high. 

Additionally, protecting the PDF document adds a strong layer of restriction, preventing unwanted users from printing, text copying, and even modifying the content. Interestingly, it is not necessary to protect PDFs every time. Sometimes to manage the document, the removal of security allows you to update or manage the document effortlessly. 

To do so, let’s first understand PDF encryption and decryption. So, let’s move down. 

What is PDF File Encryption?

PDF encryption is a kind of advanced uncrackable security mechanism that helps to safeguard confidential content. It is designed with extremely high-end algorithms that tend to secure sensitive data. Moreover, it is mainly used by government and business professionals. Using this robust encryption,  you can stop unauthorized users from accessing the document, making it tamper-proof. Hence, it requires a legitimate passkey to open, edit, or share the PDF file. 

Additionally, these security supports law compliances like GDPR and HIPAA to ensure data protection. Here are the common types of PDF encryption:

• Open Document Password: If the PDF shows warning messages like “this document is protected and requires password”, it simply means that the file is encrypted with a password. In the absence of a passkey, you can’t access the content. It is commonly known as an open document or user password.

• Owner Level Permissions: Some PDFs are restrictions, it prevents specific actions like editing, printing, text copying, etc. In this way, the document creator can access the unchanged PDF even after sharing the file with legitimate users. Moreover, it is yet another way to safeguard the document from unauthorized interference. 

• AES Encryption: AES or advanced encryption security is an extremely strong security algorithm certainly used to protect confidential data. It helps to convert the text visual into indecipherable or uncrackable codes. Moreover, these are highly powerful and robust algorithms used by the government, banks, or other sectors with confidential data. 

Overall, these are the different types of robust PDF file encryption. It helps to keep the document secure from any unauthorized access. Additionally, it follows leading compliance regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. 

What is PDF File Decryption?

Unlike Encryption, PDF decryption is a completely different process. It is an effective way to remove secured status from PDF files. PDF decryption allows you to convert highly encrypted or secured documents into original and easily accessible files. Moreover, it is not necessary to protect every PDF with end-to-end encryption; there are various instances where this security reduces productivity due to the frequent use of passkey. 

Additionally, PDF decryption plays an essential role when it comes to sharing documents with multiple users, especially in a team. Besides this, if the document needs edits or changes in the information, it becomes necessary to decrypt the PDF document. 

Now, let’s understand when to use PDF encryption and decryption.

When to Use Encryption in PDF File 

PDF encryption adds a solid layer of security to protect sensitive data from tampering or destruction.  It ensures that only legitimate users can open documents using the correct passkey or decrypting password. Here are the common uses of PDF encryption:

• Safeguard Business Document: Some documents require protection such as financial reports, trade secrets, legal contracts, etc. Encrypting these data allows to share the information only with legitimate users. 

• Share PDF with Security: PDF encryption ensures that digital sharing of the information remains private. In this way, you can transmit the document with sensitive or personal details like address, payment, and even card information. 
• Prevent Document Editing: By using different types of PDF encryption, you can stop actions like editing, text copying, and PDF printing. Moreover, it helps to control the accessibility of the document. 

Overall, these are the common benefits of using PDF encryption. It allows businesses, government authorities, or other sectors to protect data from any destruction or mislead. 

When to Use PDF File Decryption 

Since it is not necessary to encrypt every PDF. The process of decryption allows you to enhance the accessibility of the PDF content by removing unwanted encryption. It helps users get control over the original document, making it easier to edit, update, or even repurpose the content. Here are the benefits of decrypting the PDF:

• Authorized Access: Removing PDF file encryption allows multiple users to interact with PDF with more convenience. After decrypting the document, you can get authorized access to manage the PDF passwordless.

• Modify the Encrypted PDF: Decrypting the PDF leverage you to modify the document by editing or updating the information. Additionally, it allows you to correct the necessary errors with ease. 

• Share Passwordless Document: Using PDF decryption, you can share the document passwordless. In this way, you can ensure team collaboration and transmit the original PDF file to any user. 

In brief, PDF decryption is recommended when needing to modify, update, and share a document without password encryption. Now, let’s move forward to learn the best way to encryption and decryption PDF file. 

How Does PDF Encryption Work?

To encrypt PDF documents, you need a powerful solution like SysTools PDF Lock, specifically designed for Windows or Mac OS. This is an advanced and trusted solution to encrypt the document with a password and owner restriction like editing, printing, extracting pages, and copying. Most importantly, it allows you to add robust encryption algorithms like AES 128 and 256 at once. 

Moreover, you just need to add your document via Add File. After this, you can choose the necessary options to enable the encryption on your PDF. With this, you can secure confidential documents from threat actors or unauthorized attempts of data tampering. 

How Does PDF Decryption Work?

If you need to update or make changes to your encrypted PDF, it is essential to remove the security. Try SysTools PDF Unlocker, another advanced software solution that works with Windows or Mac OS. This is a secure and cost-effective tool for unlocking PDF encryption. Using this amazing tool, you can batch remove open documents and owner security from the PDF file. Moreover, it allows you to access original PDFs by removing restrictions like editing, printing, and copying. 

Additionally, it has the option to add multiple files at once. In this way, you upload an encrypted PDF and then unlock the document. So, download this tool for decrypting the PDF document from encryption. 

PDF Encryption or Decryption: Which is Better? 

Either PDF encryption or decryption depends on the type of the document. Moreover, if the document has confidential data like payment invoices, financial reports, contacts, etc. These PDFs are encrypted with advanced protections. 

On the other hand, if you want to access or update the encrypted document. It is essential to remove encryption by decrypting the PDF. Moreover, unlocking the encryption security adds convenience for accessing the PDF passwordless or without any protection. 

Hence, PDF encryption and decryption completely depend on the rightful need of the document creator. Ensure using the SysTools recommended solution for encrypting or decrypting the PDF file. 

Concluding Words

In this guide, we have learned the use of PDF encryption and decryption. Both terms serve different purposes mainly depending on the needs of the users. Now, if you want to encrypt or decrypt your document, you can choose SysTools pro software solution to manage the PDF with ease.