Overview
Mapsoft SecuritySetter lets you set, update, or remove PDF security directly from within Adobe Acrobat. From a single dialog you can choose the encryption strength, control exactly which operations are permitted, and protect documents with open and owner passwords — then save those settings as named configurations for reuse across documents or batch jobs.
SecuritySetter works with Acrobat's Standard Security Handler, which is the password-based encryption used by virtually all password-protected PDFs.
Getting started
- Open a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat.
- Go to .
- The SecuritySetter dialog opens. Configure your security settings.
- Click OK to apply the settings to the active document.
Note
SecuritySetter modifies the in-memory document. Use File › Save (or Save As) in Acrobat to write the changes to disk.
Applying and removing security
At the top of the dialog, two radio buttons control the primary mode of operation:
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Apply / Update Security | Encrypts the document and applies the permissions and passwords you specify. If the document already has security, the existing settings are replaced. |
| Remove Security | Strips all security from the document, making it fully open with no restrictions. If the document has an owner password, you must supply it in the Current Password field first. |
Warning
Removing security from a document cannot be undone via Acrobat's undo function. Save a backup copy before removing security if you may need to restore it.
Encryption level
The Encryption Level drop-down sets the algorithm and key length used to encrypt the document. Choose the lowest compatibility level that still meets your needs — higher levels are more secure but require a newer version of Acrobat or Reader to open.
| Setting | Algorithm | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobat 6.0 and later | 128-bit RC4 | Acrobat / Reader 6 and newer |
| Acrobat 7.0 and later | 128-bit AES | Acrobat / Reader 7 and newer |
| Acrobat X and later | 256-bit AES | Acrobat / Reader X (10) and newer |
Tip
Acrobat X and later (256-bit AES) is the recommended setting for new documents. All modern versions of Acrobat and Reader support it, and it provides the strongest available encryption.
Changing the encryption level changes which permission controls are available in the dialog — see Permissions below.
Passwords
SecuritySetter supports three password fields:
Current Password
If the document already has an owner (permissions) password, enter it here before clicking OK. SecuritySetter needs this to authorise changes to the existing security settings. If you leave this field blank and the document has an owner password, the operation will fail with an "Owner password is incorrect" message.
Note
PDF security encrypts passwords — SecuritySetter cannot recover or display the existing passwords from a protected document. If the document reports that passwords have been found, you must enter them manually.
Document Open Password
Check Require a password to open the document and enter the password in this field. Users who open the PDF will be prompted for this password. Leave the checkbox unchecked to allow the document to open freely.
Permissions Password (Owner / Master Password)
Check Require a password to change permissions and passwords and enter the password here. This password is required by anyone who wants to change the security settings using SecuritySetter or Acrobat. Without it, the permissions you set are enforced but cannot be changed.
Warning
The Document Open Password and the Permissions Password must be different. SecuritySetter will reject identical values for both fields.
When a new password is set, a confirmation dialog appears asking you to re-enter both passwords. The security is not applied until the confirmation matches.
Tip
Passwords are stored in saved configurations and in the default settings in encrypted form — they are never stored in plain text.
Permissions
Permissions control what operations are allowed on the encrypted document. The available controls depend on the encryption level selected.
Printing Allowed
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| None | Printing is completely disabled. |
| Low Resolution | Printing is allowed but only at low (150 dpi) resolution — suitable for personal use, not professional output. |
| High Resolution | Full-quality printing is permitted. |
Changes Allowed
| Option | What users can do |
|---|---|
| None | No changes are permitted. |
| Inserting, deleting and rotating pages | Page-level structural changes only; content cannot be edited. |
| Filling in form fields | Users can complete form fields and sign the document, but cannot otherwise edit content. |
| Commenting, filling in form fields | Users can add comments and annotations, fill forms, and sign. |
| Any except extracting pages | Full editing is allowed; pages cannot be extracted to a separate file. |
Content copying and extraction
Check Allow content copying and extraction to permit users to select and copy text and graphics from the document. When unchecked, copy and paste is disabled.
Accessibility
Check Enable content access for the visually impaired to allow screen readers and other assistive technology to access the document's text, even if content copying is otherwise disabled. It is good practice to leave this enabled.
Note
Permissions are enforced by Acrobat and Reader. Third-party PDF tools may not honour them. Encryption protects the document content itself; permissions are an additional layer of access control on top of encryption.
Saved configurations
The Configuration drop-down lets you save named sets of security settings and reload them later. This is useful when you apply the same security policy to many documents, or when you need to switch between different policies (for example, "Internal Draft" vs "Published").
Saving a configuration
- Set up the security options you want to save.
- Type a name in the Configuration box (or select an existing name to overwrite it).
- Click Save (the save button next to the Configuration box).
Loading a configuration
- Click the Configuration drop-down and select a saved name.
- The dialog updates to reflect the saved settings.
- Adjust any settings if needed, then click OK to apply.
Deleting a configuration
Select the configuration name in the drop-down and click Remove.
Tip
Configurations are stored in SecuritySetter.ini in your Mapsoft configuration folder. Named configurations are also used when running SecuritySetter through the Acrobatch batch processor.
Loading current document security
Click Current Security to read the security settings currently applied to the open document into the dialog. This lets you inspect and modify the existing settings without having to re-enter them from scratch.
Note
If the document has an open or owner password, SecuritySetter will alert you that passwords were found but cannot display them — they are encrypted inside the PDF. Enter the passwords manually in the appropriate fields before clicking OK.
The Current Security button is disabled if no document is open, or if the document uses a non-standard security handler (a third-party encryption plug-in).
Saving and resetting defaults
The Save as Default button saves the current dialog settings as the personal default. The next time you open SecuritySetter, these defaults are pre-loaded.
The Reset button restores the dialog to the last saved defaults.
The Clear button clears all fields and checkboxes, resetting the dialog to a blank state with no passwords and no permissions restrictions.
Tryout mode
If SecuritySetter is installed without a valid licence, it runs in Tryout mode. In Tryout mode the security settings are applied but a watermark text is added to the document to indicate that it was processed by an unlicensed copy.
To obtain a full licence, visit the Mapsoft Store or contact Mapsoft Support.