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How to Password Protect a PDF for Business

June 17, 2024
2.2K Views

Business professionals thrive on creating, sharing, and working on documents for various reasons. Whether managing company finances or discussing an upcoming project, document security is paramount. Sensitive information must be protected not only from unauthorized team members but also from competitor companies. WPS Office offers robust tools that allow you to password-protect your documents, ensuring their confidentiality and security. In this article, I will show you how to password protect a PDF for business through which you can ensure the safety and confidentiality of your documents.

How to Password Protect a PDF for Business

What Kind of Documents Typically Require Passwords?

PDFs can be protected using passwords to prevent unauthorized editing or viewing of the content. For example, if you have a PDF and don't want anyone to edit it using a PDF editor, you can set up a password. You can also set up a password to view PDFs containing confidential information, ensuring only selected people have access to the content. With this understanding, some documents that typically require passwords for business purposes include:

Financial Statements

Financial statements of a business are often made public to provide information about the company's current financial status. Naturally, you would expect these financial statement PDFs to be accessible to all stakeholders without needing a password for viewing. However, since the information should not be editable, businesses typically password-protect financial statements to ensure the content cannot be altered.

Protect PDF content with Password

Product Designs

Protecting the designs and specifications of new products is essential for a technology company. Unauthorized access may result in intellectual property theft and significant financial consequences. These PDFs are considered confidential and require a password for viewing to prevent theft or replication of the designs.

HR Records

Human Resources departments manage sensitive personal information such as employee contracts, performance evaluations, and disciplinary records. If accessed by unauthorized individuals, these documents could lead to identity theft and privacy breaches, underscoring the importance of encrypting HR records for safety.

Encrypted PDF


These examples illustrate the critical need for PDF encryption in various scenarios.

How to Protect a PDF With Passwords Using WPS Office?

Security is paramount in business, prompting the necessity to encrypt PDFs for content protection and control. Recognizing this, I recommend using WPS Office for its renowned encryption tools, enabling businesses to secure their PDFs effectively. WPS PDF encryption not only allows businesses to password-protect their PDFs to block viewing or prevent content editing but also grants users complete control over how the PDF can be used by others. We will discuss how to encrypt a PDF using WPS Office and learn how to password-protect a PDF to control various aspects of content usage.

I have a sample PDF with me, on which I'll demonstrate the steps you need to follow to set up a password using WPS Office:

Step 1: Let's open a PDF on which we want to set up a password using WPS Office.

Step 2: Navigate to the "Protect" tab in the toolbar and click on the "Encrypt" button in the Protect ribbon.

WPS PDF Encrypt tool


In the encryption window, you'll have two options: set a password to limit who views the PDF or set a password to limit the use of the contents of the PDF.

Step 3: To limit who views your PDF, select the "Set the open password" option and insert a password.

Set the open password


Step 4: To limit the use of the contents of the PDF, select the "Set password for editing and extracting" option and insert a password to protect your PDF.

Set password for editing and extracting


Step 5: In the options, you can restrict the use of the content of your PDF completely by choosing the "Select All" option.

Select All to gain complete control over PDF Contents


Note: This option is designed to restrict editing content of the PDF, so you can't select or deselect this property of this option.logo

Step 6: To allow some access, such as print, copy, notes, and others, choose the options accordingly.

Limit use of PDF Contents with fewer restrictions


Bonus: To allow certain access to people who are allowed to view the PDF, set up both passwords. This can be extremely beneficial for businesses as it allows limited access to limited people within the business who are allowed to view the PDF.
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Step 7: Once you have set the password to protect your PDF, click on the Confirm button.

Encrypt PDF files using WPS PDF


Note: WPS Office does not save a copy of the password to provide complete encryption. In case the password is forgotten, it cannot be restored. So make sure to store the password in a safe place.go

The encryption tool to protect your PDF is extremely important considering the potential losses for a business if data is not handled properly. With WPS Office, encrypting PDFs not only becomes easier, but with the focus of WPS Office on providing secure tools for its users, WPS Office provides an extra layer of security for businesses to encrypt their PDFs with ease and security.

WPS AI Features for Enhanced Business Experience

Working on documents can be time-consuming, especially in a business setting where safeguarding against potential cyber risks and data breaches is crucial. WPS Office addresses these concerns by integrating AI, which not only enhances document creation but also ensures data security.

WPS Office's AI integration makes the process of writing and managing documents much easier and more efficient. Here are some of the key features:

WPS AI


  • Summary and Chat in AI PDF: This feature can digest and summarize the content of documents, enabling professionals to quickly read and understand large volumes of information. This is particularly beneficial for business research, meeting preparations, and reviewing lengthy reports.

  • Keyword Extraction: Extracts essential points from documents, helping professionals quickly identify key information and insights. This aids in preparing presentations, writing reports, and making informed business decisions.

  • Translation in AI PDF: Provides seamless translation within documents, breaking language barriers and enhancing comprehension. This feature is invaluable for multinational businesses, ensuring that documents are accessible and understandable across different languages.

Benefits of WPS Office for Business

WPS Office is renowned for catering to a vast audience, especially businesses, delivering an exceptional office suite that meets diverse needs. From document creation to seamless team collaboration, WPS Office is incredibly handy for business professionals. Its reputation for delivering precisely what it promises makes it a go-to choice in a market where finding a reliable office suite can be a struggle. WPS Office eliminates this challenge, providing a comprehensive and efficient solution.

WPS Office


In addition to AI-driven features that streamline document management, WPS Office offers a range of protective features designed specifically for businesses:

User-Friendly Interface

The easy navigation and intuitive design make it simple to quickly implement password protection and other security measures.

WPS Office User-Friendly Interface

Comprehensive Security Features

Beyond basic password protection, WPS Office includes advanced security options like encryption, watermarking, and access controls to safeguard sensitive information.

Cost-Effective Solution

WPS Office offers affordable pricing plans suitable for businesses of all sizes, ensuring that top-tier document management and security are accessible to everyone.

FAQs About Password Protecting a PDF

1. How secure is password protection for PDFs?

Think of basic PDF password protection as akin to placing a lock on a gate. While it prevents immediate access to your document, the content remains visible behind the barrier. However, with password encryption, the PDF file's contents are scrambled into unintelligible ciphertext. Simply removing the password isn't sufficient; any hacker would need to decipher the encrypted data to reconstruct the document. Therefore, using password encryption is preferable to relying solely on a plain password. When utilized correctly, PDF passwords effectively safeguard your information, allowing you to securely share documents.

2. How do I protect a PDF with copyright?

To protect a PDF with copyright, follow these steps:

Step 1: Begin by launching a file in Acrobat, then navigate to Tools > Protect.

Step 2: Choose whether you prefer to limit editing using a password or secure the file through encryption with either a certificate or password.

Step 3: Customize the password or select your preferred security method.

Step 4: Confirm your selections by clicking OK, followed by saving the document.

Protect Your Confidential Documents with WPS Office

If your job involves handling confidential documents, safeguarding them against cyber attacks and breaches is crucial. Failure to protect these documents can lead to serious accountability issues. Therefore, learning how to password protect a PDF for business is essential. WPS Office delivers on its promises, providing robust password protection features to ensure your documents remain secure.

WPS Office makes it easy to protect your sensitive information with its user-friendly interface and comprehensive security options. Don't miss out on the opportunity to secure your documents effectively. Download WPS Office today and ensure that your documents are fully password protected.


15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.