The Myth of the Locked PDF
We all know the feature in Adobe Acrobat: "Protect with Password". It feels secure. But is it?
The answer is a hard no.
Why Standard PDF Passwords Fail
Standard PDF password protection is often just a "flag" that asks the PDF viewer to please be nice. Many 3rd party viewers ignore these flags completely. Furthermore, there are dozens of free online tools that can strip a PDF password in seconds if the encryption is weak (which it often is).
The Server-Side Difference
SecureViewPDF relies on unique token links and AES-256 server-side encryption. The browser never receives the full unencrypted file to save to disk in a standard way.
While no system is 100% screenshot-proof (someone can always take a photo of their screen), making it hard is usually enough to stop casual theft and ensure you get paid.