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PDF Password Security

When people think of PDF Security they are often referring to the password security facility available in Adobe Acrobat and other third party PDF Writers.

Using these applications you can apply two different types of password security to a PDF file.

1) The first is a document open password, which controls who has access to a PDF (who can open the document). This is also known as a user password, as users must type in the password you specify to open the PDF.

Evidently the downside of using a document open password is that once you have given the document and password to one person they can then give this to others. It is therefore not a very secure approach, especially if confidentiality of a document is required.

2) The second is a permissions password which is used to prevent users from changing or removing the controls placed on a document. These generally cover copying and editing text, and printing a PDF.

Unfortunately, there are many freely available and purchasable password cracking tools on the web that can remove these passwords in seconds – see http://www.elcomsoft.co.uk/apdfpr.html as an example who quote on their web site “Get access to password-protected PDF files quickly and efficiently! Instantly unlock restricted PDF documents by removing printing, editing and copying restrictions! Advanced PDF Password Recovery recovers or instantly removes passwords protecting or locking PDF documents created with all versions of Adobe Acrobat or any other PDF application.”.

What these applications do not is enable you to set a PDF expiry date, apply dynamic watermarks, revoke access, or prevent screen grabbing.

Some of this functionality however is provided with Adobe Content Server for a large initial and pay per transaction fees. However the Adobe Digital Editions app required to view the protected content has been comprehensively cracked. Adobe Livecycle ES4 extends the security functionality and price! with the use of online/offline use, document tracking, dynamic watermarks, and document revocation. You can encrypt a PDF document with either a password or a certificate, but if you use the stronger certificate approach then you must know BEFORE you protect the document who you want to send it to. Evidently this would not work in a situation where you were selling say PDF reports or ebooks from your web site.

PKI (Public Key Technology) & Digital Signatures

Adobe also supports the use of digital signatures. These were invented as a method of being able to ‘identify’ someone online and prevent falsifications. But they have several problems. People could generate their own ‘identities’ unless you made them buy their ‘digital identity’ or signature from a ‘Trusted Third Party’ (TTP) who likes to charge them every year for the privilege, as well as making them jump through hoops to prove who they are. So the TTP ones are pricey, painful and not very useful, and the self-generated ones prove nothing. Worse, users can give the signature away to anyone they like because there is no penalty for doing that, and no cost.

So whilst passwords have major security weaknesses, so does PKI.

If you are looking for a secure alternative to PDF Security, then check out companies such as LockLizard who use public key technology and secure transparent key exchange to ensure your documents remain protected no matter where they reside.

Almost every diet exhorts dieters to combine their respective diet program along with an exercise program in order to make the diet successful for the individual. Unfortunately, following the said diet becomes a huge burden for people as over a period of time, they begin to realize that it is not easy to maintain a fitness program along with the diet schedule in order to prevent excessive weight from returning.

This constant battle of managing an exercise program and diet schedule causes almost one third of the population to give up on their diets and revert back to their unhealthy lifestyles.

And the very few people who continue to persist with the diet start to spend more and more money on health drinks, protein beverages, and other additional forms of low-calorie foods just to keep themselves from feeling tired after a strenuous exercise routine.

Moreover the restrictive diet programs lead many people to suffer from hunger pangs and give in to temptation by mindlessly bingeing when they cannot resist the urge to eat anymore.

The HCG diet, on the other hand, does not recommend individuals to embark upon any form or kind of fitness schedule when following the diet. The HCG diet is a time-tested protocol that allows the individual to reap the benefits of weight loss without indulging in heavy exercises or complicated diet schedules.

Energy in the body is naturally induced with the introduction of the HCG hormone that does the entire work of burning excess fat cells in the body without causing the individual to resort to any other additional measures.

The unneeded fat deposits in the body start to get utilised while nourishment and energy is supplied throughout the body, without causing the individual to undergo any hunger pangs or starvation.

Of the numerous benefits discovered by following the HCG diet, a number of them offer more than just weight loss. Some of the scientific results observed include:

• slight elevation of testosterone levels in the body with an increase in metabolism
• redistribution of fat cells throughout the body with a visible reduction of flab around the stomach and extremities
• no incidents of starvation despite following the diet as the body is naturally nourished from the drainage of fat cells stored in various areas across the body
• there is no question of muscle loss in spite of following the diet, as with the introduction of the HCG hormone, there is a greater combustion of fat burning from the fat cells that takes place
• dramatic decrease of craving for junk food or sweets
• simple, yet effective diet that can be followed by any individual in good health and at any age

One of the biggest advantages of following HCG diet drops regimen is that unlike any other diet, it does not deplete muscle mass as the HCG hormone that is introduced in the body prevents muscle mass from losing its value.

This is one of the largest positive benefits that the HCG hormone has to offer. Moreover, an individual following the HCG diet does not undergo any form of intense food cravings or hunger pangs, thanks once again to the HCG hormone. It is one of the few diets that involves the constant supervision of a medical doctor, thus assuring the dieter that he/she is in safe hands throughout the diet.

For many years we’ve been told to avoid fat like the plague. So much so, that many of us avoid fats completely - like they were some sort of demonic force which would infiltrate and ruin our lives if given half the chance, but is fat really as bad as they’ve made it out to be or could it just be that we’ve been misinformed and only have half the facts at our disposal?

Are all fats created equal? No. Do we need fat in our diet in order to maintain good health? Yes. If we cut out all fats from our diet would our weightloss problems be solved? No. Fats aren’t indeed the demon they’ve been made out to be. By digging deeper one becomes acutely aware how having all the facts at your disposal is essential. Our health requires more thought and consideration than playing a relaxing game of slots on http://www.jackgold.com/.

The truth is that we do need fats and that they are a healthy part of our diet. They provide crucial essential fatty acids, are a brilliant source of energy, keep our skin supple and soft and also deliver fat-soluble vitamins. Yes, there are good fats and bad fats and fats should be eaten in moderation, but definitely not avoided.

There are even some top cardiologists and nutrition experts who are saying that the information we have been fed over the past 4 decades could be flawed and even completely incorrect. Fatty foods such as butter, cheese, yoghurt and eggs could even be good for your heart and cutting them out might even create bigger problems. Instead we should rather be focusing on reducing our sugar intake as this could be way more harmful than consumption of healthy fats.

Dr Malhotra, a specialist at Croydon University Hospital said: “From the analysis of the independent evidence that I have done, saturated fat from non-processed food is not harmful and probably beneficial. Butter, cheese, yoghurt and eggs are generally healthy and not detrimental. The food industry has profited from the low-fat mantra for decades because foods that are marketed as low-
fat are often loaded with sugar. We are now learning that added sugar in food is driving the obesity epidemic and the rise in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

A recent study has revealed that around 75 per cent of acute heart attack patients surprisingly have normal cholesterol levels. This suggests that cholesterol isn’t the main problem. We need to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies and make informed decisions. It also takes a little effort, as whilst they’re now saying that many fats aren’t bad for you, they are however saying that trans-fats should be avoided and omega-6 fatty acids consumed in very small amounts. It’s a matter a re-educating ourselves, making conscious decisions and taking responsibility for our choices.

Here’s to a long, happy, healthy life!