Editorial Policy

What we publish

We publish technical explanations of PDF encryption standards, password recovery methods, and document protection mechanisms. Our content covers:

• • PDF encryption revisions: RC4 40-bit (R2), RC4 128-bit (R3-R4), AES-128 (R4), AES-256 (R6, Acrobat X+/PDF 2.0)
• • Hashcat mode references (10400, 10500, 10600, 10700) with accurate KDF and cipher descriptions
• • Practical guidance on when recovery is feasible vs. when it's cryptographically infeasible
• • Comparisons of recovery tools and services with honest assessments of what each can and can't do

How we fact-check

Every article that references a Hashcat mode number, cipher specification, or PDF format detail is checked against:

• • ISO 32000-1/32000-2 (PDF 1.7 / PDF 2.0 specifications) and Adobe's Acrobat Extension Level documentation
• • Adobe Algorithm 2.A/2.B (PDF Standard Security Handler key derivation, revisions 2-6)
• • NIST FIPS standards: FIPS 180-4 (SHA), FIPS 197 (AES)
• • Hashcat documentation and source code for mode number accuracy
• • Practical verification: we test recovery claims against real encrypted files before publishing

We don't publish based on vendor marketing claims. If a recovery tool vendor says "recovers any PDF password in minutes," we test that claim before repeating it. (Usually, the claim is false — it only removes owner/permissions restrictions, which is a different thing entirely from recovering a genuinely forgotten open/user password.)

Corrections

PDF encryption details are complex and occasionally confusing even in the official Adobe/ISO documentation. If you find an error — a wrong Hashcat mode number, a mischaracterized cipher, an outdated claim — email us via the contact page. We verify the correction against the source specifications and update the content. Corrections are noted with the last-modified date on the page.

What we don't publish

• • AI-generated content without human review. Every article is reviewed by someone who understands PDF encryption before publication.
• • "Recovery success rate" numbers that aren't tied to a specific encryption mode. "90% success rate" is meaningless without specifying whether it's 40-bit RC4 (near 100%, guaranteed) or AES-256 with a strong random password (near 0%).
• • Paid placement or sponsored content that isn't clearly labeled. If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be prominently marked.
• • Claims that free tools can do things they can't. We're explicit about what free owner-password-removal tools actually do vs. what real encrypted-password recovery requires.

Content freshness

Each article displays its publication date and last-modified date. We review and update content when:

• • Adobe releases a new PDF specification revision or extension level with different encryption defaults
• • Hashcat adds new PDF-related modes or changes existing mode behavior
• • New publicly documented attacks on PDF encryption are published
• • A reader reports an error (we verify and update within 48 hours)