# About Protecting Documents

DocuWorks provides a feature called security for protecting documents.

## Purposes of the security feature

### Protects confidential documents from unauthorized outside access

The security feature protects documents by preventing illegal accesses by unauthorized users.

### Supports enforcement of rules for handling confidential documents

This feature guides authorized users on how to handle confidential documents properly by specifying those documents as confidential and restricting their operations.

### Provides an operating environment that allows for an easy protection of confidential documents

This function provides an operating environment that allows even users without advanced knowledge of computer operations to protect their documents and work with protected documents with ease.

## Protected documents

DocuWorks files that have their securities configured are called protected documents. You can configure the security for each DocuWorks document, DocuWorks binder, or DocuWorks container. For a DocuWorks binder or a DocuWorks container, the security can be configured for the entire binder or container. The binder and container can also contain protected documents.
In thumbnail view or grid view of Desk, protected documents are displayed as single-page documents of A4 size with a padlock mark shown on the page. The number of pages and paper size are hidden as well as their contents.
Important
Configuring the securities for DocuWorks files does not restrict them from being moved, deleted, copied, or saved with new names. Protected documents are moved, copied, or saved with new names while retaining their protected state. If you move or copy a folder, protected documents contained in that folder are moved or copied while retaining their protected state.
Note
You cannot configure the securities for signed documents. But, you can sign protected documents.

## Security modules

Security is configured using security modules. DocuWorks provides the following types of security modules:

### Password (256bit V8 or later)

Configures the security so that only the users who know the password can open and manipulate a document. In this module, the encryption method is stronger than in the "Password (128bit V5 or later)" module.
Protected documents set in this module cannot be opened in DocuWorks Ver.7.x or earlier.

### Password (128bit V5 or later)

Configures the security so that only the users who know the password can open and manipulate a document. In this module, the encryption method is stronger than in the "Password (56bit V4or later)" module.
Protected documents set in this module cannot be opened in DocuWorks Ver.4.x or earlier.

### Password (56bit V4 or later)

Configures the security so that only the users who know the password can open and manipulate a document.
Protected documents set in this module can be opened by entering the password even in DocuWorks Ver.4.x.

### Digital Certificate (256bit V8 or later)

Configures the security so that only the users who have a certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) can open and manipulate a document. You do not need password management such as informing others of them or concealing them, and there is no possibility of being cracked by analogy. You can specify security with public-key cryptosystem using general public-key certificates (digital ID).
In this module, the encryption method is stronger than in the [Digital Certificate (128bit V5 or later)] module.
Protected documents set in this module cannot be opened in DocuWorks Ver.7.x or earlier.

### Digital Certificate (128bit V5 or later)

Configures the security so that only the users who have a certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) can open and manipulate a document. You do not need password management such as informing others of them or concealing them, and there is no possibility of being cracked by analogy. You can specify security with public-key cryptosystem using general public-key certificates (digital ID).
Protected documents set in this module cannot be opened in DocuWorks Ver.4.x.

### DocuWorks Electronic Signature (128bit V5 or later)

Configures the security so that only the users who have a specific Electronic Signature can open and manipulate a document. You can specify security with public-key cryptosystem.
Protected documents set in this module cannot be opened in DocuWorks Ver.4.x.
Note

- DocuWorks Electronic Signature is a unique feature of DocuWorks. Digital Certificate, on the other hand, is a technology based on the Internet standard Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) which has varieties of applications such as the S/MIME mail encryption, Web access authentication, and VPN. By using the Digital Certificate-protected security, you can configure the securities for DocuWorks documents using a certificate system common to other PKI applications.
- DocuWorks does not provide means for opening a password-protected document without the password. Be sure not to forget your password and handle it with care.