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Introduction  

The rise of smart cities and the Internet of Things bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds, transforming how academic achievements are issued and shared.   

Electronic certificates offer a range of benefits to educational institutions, students and employers. A digital certification platform can streamline the issuance and verification processes of academic achievements while enabling sharing that supports the student’s journey into employment or further study.  

The two most used formats for electronic certificates are PDFs and digital credentials. If you’ve ever downloaded a printable document, sent an invoice, or viewed an online brochure, it was likely a PDF.   

Adobe estimates there could be more than 2.5 trillion PDFs in the world today and recent data suggests the PDF is the third most popular file format on the internet (after HTML and XHTML), more popular even than JPEG or GIF files. 

The longevity and popularity of the format are down to its simplicity. The PDF was designed to preserve document formatting, such as layout, typefaces and tables, no matter what software or operating platform it is opened on. PDFs have transformed electronic document sharing for individuals and businesses worldwide. However, some key vulnerabilities cannot be neglected when applying this format to certification.   

In this blog, we will explore the limitations of using PDFs for secure credentials, focussing on concerns such as the availability of sophisticated editing tools exposing PDF credentials to fraud risks.  

Why are PDF credentials vulnerable to fraud?  

As we’ve written about previously, certification fraud is an ongoing challenge for the education sector posing significant risks to both document integrity and reputation.  

That’s why, when using a digital certification platform, it is important that organisations implement technologies that consider a holistic approach to document security that effectively protects against fraud. 

Unfortunately, PDF credentials merely offer the level of security required for them to be considered a viable solution for certification.  

Easily created and modified

The primary risk of using PDFs for credentials is that they can be easily created by almost anyone with even the most basic software.  

They can also be easily copied, edited and modified using paid tools like Photoshop or Illustrator to alter grades or even create a completely counterfeit document.  

The rise of free PDF editors makes the editing of data easy and widely available. Type “free pdf editor” into Google and 1,220,000,000 search results appear. Whilst this has great use cases for other areas of business, for certification and awards, it is an open door for counterfeiting and alternation fraud. 

And it doesn’t end there.

Lack of control after issuance

Once a PDF has been created, sent, downloaded and shared, the real challenge is that the owner no longer has control over what happens next – regardless of the security and encryption measures.  

A search into Google for “PDF password remover” returns 7,710,00 search results (as of September 2024). One of the search results reads “Need to remove a PDF password for free? Simply upload, unlock, and remove the password from your PDF.”

Are your pdf certificates secure

Furthermore, the popularity and ubiquity of the PDF format have led to them being exploited by fraudsters and criminals, and malicious PDF files have been at the centre of several recent cyberattacks.  

These include a Facebook con to trick job seekers into infecting their PCs with software that steals their credit card data and passwords, and Russian hackers using encrypted PDFs to spread malware 

No institution serious about its document integrity and reputation would use a format for its certification that is so often exploited in this way.  

Protecting your digital certificates from PDF credentials fraud

Whilst PDF certificates offer a quick, easy, and inexpensive option to digitalise your certification, the negatives far outweigh the positives.  

One of the key challenges institutions face when offering PDF credentials is the loss of control once they are issued. It’s important to consider how documents are accessed, shared, and verified, as well as the underlying technologies that protect the long-term integrity of the document and the reputation of the awarding institute.   

Conclusion

Protect the integrity of your digital certificates from PDF credentials fraud by exploring secure alternatives that optimise advanced certification technologies. Contact us to learn more about our secure certification solution and ensure the integrity of your digital certificates.   

 

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