Hi everyone,
It’s been some time since the ISO (International Organization for Standards) has released PDF 2.0 (ISO 32000-2:2017), a long-awaited update of the standardized version of the PDF format, PDF 1.7 (ISO 32000-1:2008).
The “next generation of PDF” introduces a wide range of much-awaited features based on the collaborative work of the ISO technical committee and PDF specialists over the past years. It also delivers precise and clear definitions and enhancements to existing features that make implementation and improvements of PDF-related solutions much more straightforward.
Even if we didn’t communicate much about it at the time, we have worked hard on introducing and supporting PDF 2.0 features in GdPicture.NET toolkit since the release of the updated standard in 2017.
Now the time has come to let you know more about it, so let’s have a brief look at the most significant changes brought with PDF 2.0.
Security
Improvements to security are never enough.
PDF 2.0 incorporates a possibility to add an unencrypted wrapper document to your secured files, that benefits from using the custom security handler. The wrapper allows opening those files within the self-explanation cover letter.
Next, there are several updates related to digital signatures, based on the PAdES/CAdES standards and ECC-based certificates. There is also enhanced support for long-term validation of signatures.
In conjunction with deprecating the AES-128 based encryption in PDF 2.0, the AES-256 has been revitalized and encouraged as a current-generation standard.
GdPicture.NET brings this feature since version 14.1.30 through PDFEncryption.
Before this, with version 14.1.26, we enhanced support for Unicode-based passwords, another of the PDF 2.0 features.