Operation Manual

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USING ACROBAT X STANDARD
Security
Last updated 10/11/2011
The mechanisms used to protect private keys stored in the Windows certificate store vary depending on the company
that has provided the storage. Contact the provider to determine how to back up and protect these keys from
unauthorized access. In general, use the strongest authentication mechanism available and create a strong password
or PIN when possible.
What to do if a digital ID is lost or stolen
If your digital ID was issued by a certificate authority, immediately notify the certificate authority and request the
revocation of your certificate. In addition, you should not use your private key.
If your digital ID was self-issued, destroy the private key and notify anyone to whom you sent the corresponding public
key (certificate).
Smart cards and hardware tokens
A smart card looks like a credit card and stores your digital ID on an embedded microprocessor chip. Use the digital
ID on a smart card to sign and decrypt documents on computers that can be connected to a smart card reader. Some
smart card readers include a keypad for typing a personal identification number (PIN).
Similarly, a security hardware token is a small, keychain-sized device that you can use to store digital IDs and
authentication data. You can access your digital ID by connecting the token to a USB port on your computer or mobile
device.
If you store your digital ID on a smart card or hardware token, connect it to your device to use it for signing documents.
More Help topics
“Sharing certificates with others” on page 205
“Register a digital ID” on page 216
“About digital signatures” on page 222
“Securing documents with certificates” on page 203
Removing sensitive content
Why remove sensitive content?
Before you distribute a PDF, you may want to examine the document for sensitive content or private information that
can trace the document to you. Such information can be hidden or not immediately apparent. For example, if you
created the PDF, the document metadata normally lists your name as the author. You may also want to remove content
that can inadvertently change and modify the document’s appearance. JavaScript, actions, and form fields are types of
content that are subject to change.
Use the Remove Hidden Information feature to find and remove hidden content from a PDF. Use the Black Out &
Remove Content tools to remove sensitive images and text that are visible in a PDF.