Adobe 62000236 Extended User Guide - Page 260

USING ACROBAT 9 PRO EXTENDED 254 Security Note: You can delete only self-signed digital IDs that you created in Acrobat. 1 Do one of the following: • In Acrobat, choose Advanced > Security Settings. • In Reader, choose Document > Security Settings. 2 Select Digital IDs on the left, and then select the digital ID to remove. 3 Click Remove ID, and then click OK. More Help topics "Delete a certificate from trusted identities" on page 242 Protecting digital IDs By protecting your digital IDs, you can prevent unauthorized use of your private keys for signing or decrypting confidential documents. Make sure that you have a procedure in place in the event your digital ID is lost or stolen. How to protect your digital IDs When private keys are stored on hardware tokens, smart cards, and other hardware devices that are password- or PINprotected, use a strong password or PIN. Never divulge your password to others. If you must write down your password, store it in a secure location. Contact your system administrator for guidelines on choosing a strong password. Keep your password strong by following these rules: use eight or more characters; mix uppercase and lowercase letters with numbers and special characters; choose a password that is difficult to guess or hack, but that you can remember without having to write it down; do not use a correctly spelled word in any language, as they are subject to "dictionary attacks" that can crack these passwords in minutes; change your password on a regular basis; contact your system administrator for guidelines on choosing a strong password. To protect private keys stored in P12/PFX files, use a strong password and set your password timeout options appropriately. If using a P12 file to store private keys that you use for signing, use the default setting for password timeout option so that your password is always required. If using your P12 file to store private keys that are used to decrypt documents, make a backup copy of your private key or P12 file so that you can open encrypted documents if you lose your keys. The mechanisms used to protect private keys stored in the Windows certificate store vary depending on what company has provided the storage. Contact the provider to determine how to back up and protect these keys from unauthorized access. In general, use the strongest authentication mechanism available and create a strong password or PIN when possible. What to do if a digital ID is lost or stolen If your digital ID was issued by a certificate authority, immediately notify the certificate authority and request the revocation of your certificate. You should also stop using your private key. If your digital ID was self-issued, destroy the private key and notify anyone to whom you sent the corresponding public key (certificate). Last updated 9/30/2011