We have confidential supplier contracts that must be secured. I need to set access controls and trusted identities wit…
Open Adobe Acrobat and go to the application preferences.
Navigate to the section for managing trusted identities and certificates.
Import the root or intermediate certificate authority (CA) certificate file that you want users to trust.
CautionOnly import certificates from CAs that you have verified as trustworthy.
Set the trust settings for the imported CA certificate to specify which actions (such as signature validation or certified document validation) it should be trusted for.
Export the trusted certificate profile or trust list as a file for distribution.
Distribute the exported trust profile to users via secure channels, such as email with instructions or a shared network location.
Best practiceAccording to best practices, use a centralized deployment tool or group policy to automate trust profile distribution in larger organizations.
Instruct users to import the distributed trust profile into their own Acrobat trusted identities and certificates section.
Optionally, define and distribute signature policies that specify requirements for digital signatures, such as allowed algorithms or certificate authorities.
You can manage trusted certificate authorities and distribute trust profiles to users to ensure consistent signature validation across your organization.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
| Feature | Digital Signature | Certified Digital Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Proves identity of the signer. | Proves identity and locks the document from changes. |
| Application | Can be added to a PDF with other signatures. | Can only be the first signature on a PDF. |
| Visual Cue | Looks like a signature field. | Has a special 'certify' ribbon icon. |
Using a digital ID for signing documents is important because it provides a high level of security and trust. It links your unique identity to the document, making it very difficult for someone else to pretend to be you. This helps ensure that the document is authentic and has not been changed since you signed it, which is crucial for legal and official papers.
Yes, if you need to apply an official company seal to many PDFs automatically, you can use the Adobe PDF Electronic Seal API. This API is designed for organizations to apply seals, which are different from a person's digital signature. You would supply your company's third-party certificate credentials, the seal image, and its location on the document. This allows for efficient, automated sealing of documents.
If you try to certify a PDF that already has other signatures, Adobe Acrobat will not allow it. The 'Certify' feature can only be applied as the very first signature on a document. Its purpose is to lock the document and guarantee its original state before any other changes or signatures are added. You would need to remove existing signatures or use a standard digital signature instead.