Protego PDF

Whether you're sharing your computer with other people or wish to send secret documents to a friend over the Internet, it's a good idea to add password protection to PDF files. Unless you want to turn to a complex software solution for this job, like Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can use a simpler tool like Protego PDF.

Wrapped in a clean and intuitive interface, this application comes bundled with not only a PDF password protection feature but also PDF unlocker, random password generator, and password manager.

A PDF file can be dropped in the main window to get started. Before proceeding any further, you should know that batch processing isn't supported, which means that Protego PDF cannot add passwords to multiple files at the same time.

The program asks to set and confirm the new password before save it to file, whether you want to overwrite the original PDF or create a new one. By default, the keys are hidden under asterisk but you can disable this if you're certain that no one is looking over your shoulder.

A built-in key evaluation tool tells you if the preferred password is weak, good or strong, depending on its complexity. To improve the key complexity, you can turn to the random password generator that lets you configure rules by setting the number of characters and by including or excluding small and big letters, numbers or special characters.

Meanwhile, the password manager can be used to creating a list of frequently used passwords and for marking the favorites for quick access. Any number of keys can be added here and later removed if you change your mind. Lastly, the PDF unlocker works as expected: drop a file, set the correct password, and save the unprotected PDF.

Taking into account its stylish interface, intuitive options and bonus settings (password generator and manager), Protego PDF turns out to be an all-in-one PDF password application, ideal for users looking for a quick way to lock and unlock PDFs.