Uniquifying PDF for traceability

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP











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I am planning to send out a confidential document to a number of people. Each of them will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Yet, maybe the document will find its way to the internet. If I happen to come across the document, I want to be able to identify who's made it available on the internet so I can contact the person.



How would I embed some sort of invisible signature that I can verify on a published version? I don't want the user to go through the hoops of entering a password. I also don't want to embed a clearly identifiable name. I'd just create a spreadsheet with names and associated embedded signature for later identification purposes.



I understand nothing's foolproof and someone could just copy the contents, rewrite it or whatever. I just want to increase the hurdle by embedding some sort of "silent" code in the hopes the infringing party was careless enough to just make the document available as is.



I would prefer to use some simple LaTeX code, accessing something like pdfinfo, rather than using a third-party tool.



Any suggestions?










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  • 1




    Wouldn't a watermark be more efficient: It clarifies that the document is not for the eyes of the public, you can make it unique and it stays even when printing (as an example)?
    – TeXnician
    Aug 23 at 19:53











  • Somewhat related: tex.stackexchange.com/a/440271/134574
    – Phelype Oleinik
    Aug 23 at 19:54






  • 3




    Make a few minor spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes or font changes. This will foil photographing or scanning. The first two will foil simple cutting and pasting.
    – Theodore Norvell
    Aug 24 at 0:23














up vote
10
down vote

favorite












I am planning to send out a confidential document to a number of people. Each of them will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Yet, maybe the document will find its way to the internet. If I happen to come across the document, I want to be able to identify who's made it available on the internet so I can contact the person.



How would I embed some sort of invisible signature that I can verify on a published version? I don't want the user to go through the hoops of entering a password. I also don't want to embed a clearly identifiable name. I'd just create a spreadsheet with names and associated embedded signature for later identification purposes.



I understand nothing's foolproof and someone could just copy the contents, rewrite it or whatever. I just want to increase the hurdle by embedding some sort of "silent" code in the hopes the infringing party was careless enough to just make the document available as is.



I would prefer to use some simple LaTeX code, accessing something like pdfinfo, rather than using a third-party tool.



Any suggestions?










share|improve this question



















  • 1




    Wouldn't a watermark be more efficient: It clarifies that the document is not for the eyes of the public, you can make it unique and it stays even when printing (as an example)?
    – TeXnician
    Aug 23 at 19:53











  • Somewhat related: tex.stackexchange.com/a/440271/134574
    – Phelype Oleinik
    Aug 23 at 19:54






  • 3




    Make a few minor spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes or font changes. This will foil photographing or scanning. The first two will foil simple cutting and pasting.
    – Theodore Norvell
    Aug 24 at 0:23












up vote
10
down vote

favorite









up vote
10
down vote

favorite











I am planning to send out a confidential document to a number of people. Each of them will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Yet, maybe the document will find its way to the internet. If I happen to come across the document, I want to be able to identify who's made it available on the internet so I can contact the person.



How would I embed some sort of invisible signature that I can verify on a published version? I don't want the user to go through the hoops of entering a password. I also don't want to embed a clearly identifiable name. I'd just create a spreadsheet with names and associated embedded signature for later identification purposes.



I understand nothing's foolproof and someone could just copy the contents, rewrite it or whatever. I just want to increase the hurdle by embedding some sort of "silent" code in the hopes the infringing party was careless enough to just make the document available as is.



I would prefer to use some simple LaTeX code, accessing something like pdfinfo, rather than using a third-party tool.



Any suggestions?










share|improve this question















I am planning to send out a confidential document to a number of people. Each of them will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Yet, maybe the document will find its way to the internet. If I happen to come across the document, I want to be able to identify who's made it available on the internet so I can contact the person.



How would I embed some sort of invisible signature that I can verify on a published version? I don't want the user to go through the hoops of entering a password. I also don't want to embed a clearly identifiable name. I'd just create a spreadsheet with names and associated embedded signature for later identification purposes.



I understand nothing's foolproof and someone could just copy the contents, rewrite it or whatever. I just want to increase the hurdle by embedding some sort of "silent" code in the hopes the infringing party was careless enough to just make the document available as is.



I would prefer to use some simple LaTeX code, accessing something like pdfinfo, rather than using a third-party tool.



Any suggestions?







pdftex watermark






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













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share|improve this question








edited Aug 24 at 7:44









Martin Schröder

12.7k537120




12.7k537120










asked Aug 23 at 19:29









Hansel

895




895







  • 1




    Wouldn't a watermark be more efficient: It clarifies that the document is not for the eyes of the public, you can make it unique and it stays even when printing (as an example)?
    – TeXnician
    Aug 23 at 19:53











  • Somewhat related: tex.stackexchange.com/a/440271/134574
    – Phelype Oleinik
    Aug 23 at 19:54






  • 3




    Make a few minor spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes or font changes. This will foil photographing or scanning. The first two will foil simple cutting and pasting.
    – Theodore Norvell
    Aug 24 at 0:23












  • 1




    Wouldn't a watermark be more efficient: It clarifies that the document is not for the eyes of the public, you can make it unique and it stays even when printing (as an example)?
    – TeXnician
    Aug 23 at 19:53











  • Somewhat related: tex.stackexchange.com/a/440271/134574
    – Phelype Oleinik
    Aug 23 at 19:54






  • 3




    Make a few minor spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes or font changes. This will foil photographing or scanning. The first two will foil simple cutting and pasting.
    – Theodore Norvell
    Aug 24 at 0:23







1




1




Wouldn't a watermark be more efficient: It clarifies that the document is not for the eyes of the public, you can make it unique and it stays even when printing (as an example)?
– TeXnician
Aug 23 at 19:53





Wouldn't a watermark be more efficient: It clarifies that the document is not for the eyes of the public, you can make it unique and it stays even when printing (as an example)?
– TeXnician
Aug 23 at 19:53













Somewhat related: tex.stackexchange.com/a/440271/134574
– Phelype Oleinik
Aug 23 at 19:54




Somewhat related: tex.stackexchange.com/a/440271/134574
– Phelype Oleinik
Aug 23 at 19:54




3




3




Make a few minor spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes or font changes. This will foil photographing or scanning. The first two will foil simple cutting and pasting.
– Theodore Norvell
Aug 24 at 0:23




Make a few minor spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes or font changes. This will foil photographing or scanning. The first two will foil simple cutting and pasting.
– Theodore Norvell
Aug 24 at 0:23










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
12
down vote



accepted










You do ot need any LaTeX code: Every PDF file is supposed to have a unique ID, to see it just open the PDF file in a text editor and at the end of the file you find a line like this(with a different ID of course):



/ID [<B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86> <B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86>]


If you recompile your file, the ID changes.



You only care about the first ID, the second one is for tracking changes to the file: Here the secind is equal to the first, so we have the original file. A program which changes the file is supposed to change the second ID and keep the first one intact.



Of course, this might be too obvious. It is easy for the receiver of the document to change these IDs.



You can also just write down the CreationDate (you can find it for example with pdfinfo). If you create a seperate file for each person, the will probably differ by a second or more.






share|improve this answer
















  • 2




    +1, and then the person prints the document and uploads a scanned version ;)
    – TeXnician
    Aug 23 at 19:54










  • @TeXnician Nobody would upload a scanned version anymore, most people would photograph the document with their phones🙄
    – Marcel Krüger
    Aug 23 at 20:00










  • Ooh, that's sweet and so simple. That's all I need. Very easy to use. Thank you very much!
    – Hansel
    Aug 23 at 20:05

















up vote
2
down vote













Nobody in his right mind simply publishes a pdf as it is in the internet after signing a NDA. So how to find out, if the receiver of your PDF thinks twice before publishing?



The idea of an ID of any PDF doesn't help, because the ID changes completely if you send the PDF-file through a PDF-printer as pdf24 eg.



You have to produce individual PDFs for each receiver, which differ on every page. The easiest way to do that is to change the font or the fontsize and this will change a lot of line breaks on each page. The best way IMO is to have individual texts.



Clever receivers might just copy the text out of your pdf. You might produce a sandwich pdf and have a typo in the invisible background text, which differs only a little from the typo in the visible text.



Besides that, you can produce very indivually looking PDFs with the very nice luatex-package chickenize. The option randomcolor_grey might help you.



There is much more what you can do: use eso-pic for a dot-matrix in the background and so on. Countermeasure: take pictures with your mobile from the screen and run them through an OCR.



However, can't you just change the critical part of the text a little bit for each individual PDF?






share|improve this answer




















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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes








    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes








    up vote
    12
    down vote



    accepted










    You do ot need any LaTeX code: Every PDF file is supposed to have a unique ID, to see it just open the PDF file in a text editor and at the end of the file you find a line like this(with a different ID of course):



    /ID [<B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86> <B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86>]


    If you recompile your file, the ID changes.



    You only care about the first ID, the second one is for tracking changes to the file: Here the secind is equal to the first, so we have the original file. A program which changes the file is supposed to change the second ID and keep the first one intact.



    Of course, this might be too obvious. It is easy for the receiver of the document to change these IDs.



    You can also just write down the CreationDate (you can find it for example with pdfinfo). If you create a seperate file for each person, the will probably differ by a second or more.






    share|improve this answer
















    • 2




      +1, and then the person prints the document and uploads a scanned version ;)
      – TeXnician
      Aug 23 at 19:54










    • @TeXnician Nobody would upload a scanned version anymore, most people would photograph the document with their phones🙄
      – Marcel Krüger
      Aug 23 at 20:00










    • Ooh, that's sweet and so simple. That's all I need. Very easy to use. Thank you very much!
      – Hansel
      Aug 23 at 20:05














    up vote
    12
    down vote



    accepted










    You do ot need any LaTeX code: Every PDF file is supposed to have a unique ID, to see it just open the PDF file in a text editor and at the end of the file you find a line like this(with a different ID of course):



    /ID [<B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86> <B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86>]


    If you recompile your file, the ID changes.



    You only care about the first ID, the second one is for tracking changes to the file: Here the secind is equal to the first, so we have the original file. A program which changes the file is supposed to change the second ID and keep the first one intact.



    Of course, this might be too obvious. It is easy for the receiver of the document to change these IDs.



    You can also just write down the CreationDate (you can find it for example with pdfinfo). If you create a seperate file for each person, the will probably differ by a second or more.






    share|improve this answer
















    • 2




      +1, and then the person prints the document and uploads a scanned version ;)
      – TeXnician
      Aug 23 at 19:54










    • @TeXnician Nobody would upload a scanned version anymore, most people would photograph the document with their phones🙄
      – Marcel Krüger
      Aug 23 at 20:00










    • Ooh, that's sweet and so simple. That's all I need. Very easy to use. Thank you very much!
      – Hansel
      Aug 23 at 20:05












    up vote
    12
    down vote



    accepted







    up vote
    12
    down vote



    accepted






    You do ot need any LaTeX code: Every PDF file is supposed to have a unique ID, to see it just open the PDF file in a text editor and at the end of the file you find a line like this(with a different ID of course):



    /ID [<B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86> <B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86>]


    If you recompile your file, the ID changes.



    You only care about the first ID, the second one is for tracking changes to the file: Here the secind is equal to the first, so we have the original file. A program which changes the file is supposed to change the second ID and keep the first one intact.



    Of course, this might be too obvious. It is easy for the receiver of the document to change these IDs.



    You can also just write down the CreationDate (you can find it for example with pdfinfo). If you create a seperate file for each person, the will probably differ by a second or more.






    share|improve this answer












    You do ot need any LaTeX code: Every PDF file is supposed to have a unique ID, to see it just open the PDF file in a text editor and at the end of the file you find a line like this(with a different ID of course):



    /ID [<B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86> <B825FFAF5C24E0EBBF2E5D369546DC86>]


    If you recompile your file, the ID changes.



    You only care about the first ID, the second one is for tracking changes to the file: Here the secind is equal to the first, so we have the original file. A program which changes the file is supposed to change the second ID and keep the first one intact.



    Of course, this might be too obvious. It is easy for the receiver of the document to change these IDs.



    You can also just write down the CreationDate (you can find it for example with pdfinfo). If you create a seperate file for each person, the will probably differ by a second or more.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered Aug 23 at 19:51









    Marcel Krüger

    10.6k11233




    10.6k11233







    • 2




      +1, and then the person prints the document and uploads a scanned version ;)
      – TeXnician
      Aug 23 at 19:54










    • @TeXnician Nobody would upload a scanned version anymore, most people would photograph the document with their phones🙄
      – Marcel Krüger
      Aug 23 at 20:00










    • Ooh, that's sweet and so simple. That's all I need. Very easy to use. Thank you very much!
      – Hansel
      Aug 23 at 20:05












    • 2




      +1, and then the person prints the document and uploads a scanned version ;)
      – TeXnician
      Aug 23 at 19:54










    • @TeXnician Nobody would upload a scanned version anymore, most people would photograph the document with their phones🙄
      – Marcel Krüger
      Aug 23 at 20:00










    • Ooh, that's sweet and so simple. That's all I need. Very easy to use. Thank you very much!
      – Hansel
      Aug 23 at 20:05







    2




    2




    +1, and then the person prints the document and uploads a scanned version ;)
    – TeXnician
    Aug 23 at 19:54




    +1, and then the person prints the document and uploads a scanned version ;)
    – TeXnician
    Aug 23 at 19:54












    @TeXnician Nobody would upload a scanned version anymore, most people would photograph the document with their phones🙄
    – Marcel Krüger
    Aug 23 at 20:00




    @TeXnician Nobody would upload a scanned version anymore, most people would photograph the document with their phones🙄
    – Marcel Krüger
    Aug 23 at 20:00












    Ooh, that's sweet and so simple. That's all I need. Very easy to use. Thank you very much!
    – Hansel
    Aug 23 at 20:05




    Ooh, that's sweet and so simple. That's all I need. Very easy to use. Thank you very much!
    – Hansel
    Aug 23 at 20:05










    up vote
    2
    down vote













    Nobody in his right mind simply publishes a pdf as it is in the internet after signing a NDA. So how to find out, if the receiver of your PDF thinks twice before publishing?



    The idea of an ID of any PDF doesn't help, because the ID changes completely if you send the PDF-file through a PDF-printer as pdf24 eg.



    You have to produce individual PDFs for each receiver, which differ on every page. The easiest way to do that is to change the font or the fontsize and this will change a lot of line breaks on each page. The best way IMO is to have individual texts.



    Clever receivers might just copy the text out of your pdf. You might produce a sandwich pdf and have a typo in the invisible background text, which differs only a little from the typo in the visible text.



    Besides that, you can produce very indivually looking PDFs with the very nice luatex-package chickenize. The option randomcolor_grey might help you.



    There is much more what you can do: use eso-pic for a dot-matrix in the background and so on. Countermeasure: take pictures with your mobile from the screen and run them through an OCR.



    However, can't you just change the critical part of the text a little bit for each individual PDF?






    share|improve this answer
























      up vote
      2
      down vote













      Nobody in his right mind simply publishes a pdf as it is in the internet after signing a NDA. So how to find out, if the receiver of your PDF thinks twice before publishing?



      The idea of an ID of any PDF doesn't help, because the ID changes completely if you send the PDF-file through a PDF-printer as pdf24 eg.



      You have to produce individual PDFs for each receiver, which differ on every page. The easiest way to do that is to change the font or the fontsize and this will change a lot of line breaks on each page. The best way IMO is to have individual texts.



      Clever receivers might just copy the text out of your pdf. You might produce a sandwich pdf and have a typo in the invisible background text, which differs only a little from the typo in the visible text.



      Besides that, you can produce very indivually looking PDFs with the very nice luatex-package chickenize. The option randomcolor_grey might help you.



      There is much more what you can do: use eso-pic for a dot-matrix in the background and so on. Countermeasure: take pictures with your mobile from the screen and run them through an OCR.



      However, can't you just change the critical part of the text a little bit for each individual PDF?






      share|improve this answer






















        up vote
        2
        down vote










        up vote
        2
        down vote









        Nobody in his right mind simply publishes a pdf as it is in the internet after signing a NDA. So how to find out, if the receiver of your PDF thinks twice before publishing?



        The idea of an ID of any PDF doesn't help, because the ID changes completely if you send the PDF-file through a PDF-printer as pdf24 eg.



        You have to produce individual PDFs for each receiver, which differ on every page. The easiest way to do that is to change the font or the fontsize and this will change a lot of line breaks on each page. The best way IMO is to have individual texts.



        Clever receivers might just copy the text out of your pdf. You might produce a sandwich pdf and have a typo in the invisible background text, which differs only a little from the typo in the visible text.



        Besides that, you can produce very indivually looking PDFs with the very nice luatex-package chickenize. The option randomcolor_grey might help you.



        There is much more what you can do: use eso-pic for a dot-matrix in the background and so on. Countermeasure: take pictures with your mobile from the screen and run them through an OCR.



        However, can't you just change the critical part of the text a little bit for each individual PDF?






        share|improve this answer












        Nobody in his right mind simply publishes a pdf as it is in the internet after signing a NDA. So how to find out, if the receiver of your PDF thinks twice before publishing?



        The idea of an ID of any PDF doesn't help, because the ID changes completely if you send the PDF-file through a PDF-printer as pdf24 eg.



        You have to produce individual PDFs for each receiver, which differ on every page. The easiest way to do that is to change the font or the fontsize and this will change a lot of line breaks on each page. The best way IMO is to have individual texts.



        Clever receivers might just copy the text out of your pdf. You might produce a sandwich pdf and have a typo in the invisible background text, which differs only a little from the typo in the visible text.



        Besides that, you can produce very indivually looking PDFs with the very nice luatex-package chickenize. The option randomcolor_grey might help you.



        There is much more what you can do: use eso-pic for a dot-matrix in the background and so on. Countermeasure: take pictures with your mobile from the screen and run them through an OCR.



        However, can't you just change the critical part of the text a little bit for each individual PDF?







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Aug 24 at 12:24









        Keks Dose

        20.2k35191




        20.2k35191



























             

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