Operation Manual

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Security
Last updated 4/7/2015
Protected View provides an additional level of security. When Protected View in enabled, PDFs are displayed in a
restricted environment called a sandbox. This isolation of the PDFs reduces the risk of security breaches in areas
outside the sandbox. Adobe strongly recommends that you use Acrobat DC in Protected View if you are concerned
about security, or if you frequently interact with PDFs on the Internet.
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC includes a similar restricted environment called Protected Mode. For information about
Reader Protected Mode, see Reader Help.
When Protected View is enabled, only basic navigation is allowed. For example, you can open PDFs, scroll through
pages, and click links. You can enable Protected View in a PDF that you view in either stand-alone Acrobat DC or in a
web browser.
PDF in stand-alone Acrobat DC In Protected View, Acrobat DC displays a warning for a PDF that doesn’t originate from
a trusted location. The warning lets you decide whether to trust the document.
You can find out whether a PDF opened in a browser is in Protected View. Right-click the document in the browser and
choose Document Properties. Click the Advanced tab. When Protected View is enabled, the status says Protected Mode:
On.
Enable or disable Protected View
Unlike Protected Mode in Acrobat Reader DC, Protected View in Acrobat DC is off by default.
1 Choose Preferences.
2 From the Categories on the left, select Security (Enhanced).
3 Select the Enable Enhanced Security option.
4 Choose one of the following options:
Off Disables Protected View, if you have enabled it. Protected View is off by default.
Files From Potentially Unsafe Locations Enables Protected View and displays the warning for all files originating
from an untrusted location. Files and locations that you add to the Privileged Locations area of the Enhanced
Security panel are exempt from Protected View.
All files Enables Protected View in all PDFs that you open in either stand-alone Acrobat or in a browser.
Bypass Protected View restrictions
Choose any of these options:
• Select Off in the Enhanced Security panel of the Security (Enhanced) preferences.
• Add files, folders, and locations to the Privileged Locations area of the Enhanced Security panel. (See Specify
privileged locations for trusted content.)
Additional resources
For more information on Protected View, see the following resources:
• Protected View troubleshooting: Protected View troubleshooting.
• Application Security Guide: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.