Password-based encryption helps secure drawing data when you collaborate on projects. Specifically, when you maintain a password for a drawing, you can help prevent unauthorized viewing of the drawing when it is sent to others.
Important: The ability to add a password to a drawing will be removed in the next release because it does not meet contemporary security standards. You will continue to be able to open password-protected files.
When you add a password to a drawing, you can choose whether to encrypt drawing properties such as title, author, subject, and keywords, and you can specify an encryption type and key length. If you encrypt drawing properties, a password is required to view the properties and thumbnail preview of the drawing.
The drawing encryption password is different from other types of drawing passwords, such as the password you use with eTransmit, because you can specify the encryption level.
Note:
- If you lose a password, your drawing file is lost. Before you add a password to a drawing, you should create a backup that is not protected with a password.
- In AutoCAD LT® , you can only maintain existing passwords. AutoCAD is required for adding or removing passwords, and passwords work only on AutoCAD 2004® and later drawing files (DWG, DWS, and DWT files).
- If you plan to protect a set of drawings with digital signatures as well as passwords, first add the password to each drawing, and then sign the files in a batch. Adding a password to a signed drawing, or otherwise changing a signed drawing, invalidates the signature.