Can the recipient of a PDF document change (edit) the text?

[Thomas N. Morgan]

Today, a user of Bradford Technology's Toolbox told me that an appraisal report sent as a PDF document with a digital signature is not a secure document. He said it can be modified by the recipient, unless the signature is "password protected" as it is in Toolbox.

All users of a la mode's Athena know that once the signature has been attached to the report, it cannot be modified from within that appraisal program. On the other hand, my informant told me that in all cases, whether in Athena, or in Toolbox, once the report was put into PDF format, that security feature is lost, unless the signature has special password protection.

I find it hard to believe that a report done with a la mode's Athena, containing a digital signature, converted to PDF, and sent by E-mail can be modified.

A broader question is this: Can the recipient of an ordinary PDF document modify its contents using Adobe PDF Publisher? If so, how?

Any comments?

 

[slacker]

Yes, if the document is unprotected.

When printing to the *.pdf just check "Do Not allow Changes" on the security tab.

If someone really wants to change it, they will find a way, even if it's protected.

 

[Stone]

Slacker is correct. If someone really wants to change something, they can. That goes for any report format, including paper copies. What using the security settings does, is take away the "I don't know how it happened" factor. Not much argument as to wether or not it is fraudulent if someone has to circumvent security settings to change a report.

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

Thomas,

Go into the print tab in Athena, look in the PDF general settings and security folder, click on FDF security settings, make sure the checks boxes that say do not allow the recipient to: change the PDF, select text and graphics, add and change notes in form fields are all checked. Do not check the "print PDF" box unless you don't want your client to be able to print the PDF.