PDF

PDF files hold so much information these days that it's inevitable that some of it will be worth protecting from prying eyes. A PDF encryption utility, like GetPDF's Encryptor Decryptor 3.0, can help you keep your files secure. It will not only protect your PDFs with passwords but will also allow or disallow a wide range of access options and changes, such as printing, copying, signing, merging, assembling, filling, or extracting files. It also decrypts PDFs, with the right password, and verifies the passwords of protected files.

This tool's interface is well-laid-out, with clear field descriptors … Read more

As its name would suggest, Konverter does indeed give users the ability to convert their files to a wide variety of different file formats, and it does so with ease. But its other included features didn't quite measure up.

The program's simple, self-explanatory main interface features drop-down menus lining the top of the window, as well as frequently used commands. We started by testing the Convert option. The program offers an impressive list of file format options, including PNG, PTIFF, SGI, and more. We selected a JPEG file and, using the Convert menu, opted to convert it to … Read more

Abdio's PDF Converter Pro claims it can convert more than 100 file types into PDF files. It handles Office files such as Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, and Powerpoint presentations as well as most image formats. It also converts 2D and 3D files; HTML, CAD, and text files; and proprietary formats for software like Quicken. It even works with media file formats like IFF and Windows Media Files.

The program opens with a nag screen, which is not optional in the trial version, and a tool tip, which is. The interface resembles a cut-down Windows application, with a left-hand sidebar, … Read more

Attackers have begun exploiting a design flaw in Adobe Systems' PDF format to spread the Zeus botnet, only days after the publication of a proof-of-concept exploit for the flaw, according to security researchers.

On Wednesday, researchers at M86 Security said they had discovered e-mails claiming to originate from Royal Mail with PDF attachments exploiting the flaw. The attachment attempts to run an executable file that installs the Zeus Trojan on a user's system.

Zeus attempts to steal banking information by logging a user's keystrokes. It also attempts to make a user's system part of the Zeus botnet. … Read more

Business relies on PDFs, but the software can be complex and expensive, so there's a strong market for affordable, standalone PDF utilities that simplify specific tasks like document conversion. Peernet's ArcPDF is an example. It's a basic but easy-to-use tool that converts PDF files to Microsoft Word or Rich Text files, one at a time or in batches. You don't need Word or any Adobe software to use it, though.

The program opens with a PDF-based Quick Start Guide and a nag screen that tracks the free trial. ArcPDF's dialog interface has a styled border … Read more

A-PDF offers a wide range of highly specialized, affordable PDF tools that save time by automating and simplifying specific tasks. A-PDF Size Splitter splits PDF files into smaller PDFs. Why would you need it? E-mail file size limitations, for one reason; Size Splitter makes quick work of splitting huge PDFs into exactly the right size documents for file or bandwidth restrictions, or for legal restrictions on maximum file attachment size.

This program has the family look of A-PDF's fairly staggering array of PDF utilities, with a plain but businesslike dialog-based interface. There's a PDF-based Help file that can … Read more

Portable Document Format (PDF) files could be used to spread malware to clean PDF files stored on a target computer running Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader PDF software, a security researcher warned on Monday.

Jeremy Conway, product manager at NitroSecurity, created a proof of concept for an attack in which malicious code is injected into a file on a computer as part of an incremental update, but which could be used to inject malicious code into any or all PDF files on a computer.

The attack requires the user of the computer to allow the code to be executed … Read more

Watermarks can add a professional touch to any document as well protect content from plagiarism. Advanced Bulk PDF Watermark Creator makes it incredibly simple to add watermarks to multiple PDF documents.

The application's interface is plain and partly truncated at the bottom, though none of the buttons were cut off. We tried to resize the window but were unable to do so. The program is broken down into four steps that are labeled on the interface. First, we had to select the input directory and add the PDFs we wanted watermarked. Second, we entered the text for the watermark. … Read more

Some users find that using the "Save to PDF" print feature in Adobe PDF 9.0 causes their systems to show a duplicate print window. While the system eventually lets users create PDF documents without errors, the duplicate window can cause confusion.… Read more