How to password protect wire instructions, for free

No title company wants their wire instructions document floating around there in the ether.  Adding a password to your wire instructions PDF is an easy way to limit your wire instructions from ending up in the hands of a cyber criminal. 

How would a threat actor get our agency's wire instructions PDF?

The most common way a threat actor gets a title company's wire instructions is by hacking a buyer's email. Once a buyer's email is hacked, an attacker will wait until the wire instructions are sent to the buyer. If the PDF is not password protected, the attacker can open it. If it is password protected, it's an extra step to be able to access the PDF. 

What can they do if they have our wire instructions?

Once an attacker has a title company's wire document, the first thing they will do is alter it so funds are routed to the attacker. The next thing they will do is pretend to be the title agent and request the wire transfer using the altered document. If the buyer isn't careful, they will wire the money and then the attacker will spread it out amongst cryptocurrencies and shadow bank accounts. 

How do I password protect my wire instructions PDF, for free?

Adobe has a free drag-and-drop password protection tool. You can find it here. Simply drag the PDF you want to password protect and drop it into the designated area. Pick a strong password and most importantly, write the password down in a location you will remember. 

What if I need to password protect multiple PDF's?

Depending on the number of PDF's you need to protect, you may need to pony up for one of Adobe's paid subscriptions. Adobe has two subscriptions options: Acrobat Pro and Acrobat Standard. Pro is $29.99 per month and Standard is $22.99 per month. With Acrobat Standard, you will be able to password protect an unlimited number of PDF documents. You can find up-to-date pricing here.

Happy (secure) closing.