Engineering Manager
We are looking for an alternative for ADOBE Acrobat and came across PDF24. Does anybody have experience with this tool and also the company that provides it for free? Has it been tested from a security perspective?Information Security Manager
See Full DiscussionPDF24 is a free PDF creation, editing, and conversion tool developed by a German company called Geek Software GmbH. It's well-regarded for being lightweight and offering a wide range of PDF manipulation features. Here’s some insight based on user experiences and security considerations:
User Experiences:
1. Ease of Use: PDF24 is often praised for being user-friendly and providing features that are comparable to Adobe Acrobat, such as merging, splitting, compressing, and converting PDFs.
2. Performance: Many users highlight its quick performance and the absence of heavy system resource consumption, making it ideal for personal and small business use.
3. Cost: Since PDF24 is free, it's attractive for users who need basic to intermediate PDF functionalities without subscribing to Adobe's paid services.
Security Considerations:
1. Privacy Policy & Data Handling: PDF24 can be used offline, meaning that sensitive documents don't need to be uploaded to the cloud, reducing the risk of data breaches associated with online tools.
2. Security Features: While the tool doesn't offer the same level of advanced document security (such as Adobe's certification and validation features), it does support password protection and encryption of PDFs.
3. Updates: As an actively maintained tool, PDF24 regularly releases updates, improving features and addressing potential security vulnerabilities.
Security Testing:
PDF24 has been broadly used by individuals and businesses, but it has not been as rigorously tested or certified for enterprise-level security compliance as Adobe Acrobat. It’s not common to see formal security audits published, so for businesses handling sensitive data, it’s important to weigh the tool’s limitations. In more security-critical environments, you may want to consider additional tools for auditing and monitoring if you decide to use PDF24.
If you're part of an organization that prioritizes data security, a thorough internal assessment of PDF24’s impact on your security posture, or using it in combination with other security controls, might be necessary.