Our answer to every question you have pertaining to the security of your files and our service.
Our answer to every question you have pertaining to the security of your files and our service.
The Internet has made our lives much more convenient in many ways. But with this convenience comes an abundance of risk. We are sensitive to the threat of data theft and data abuse because of media coverage on these matters. We have to be adept at discerning which websites to trust and distrust with our personal data. That is why it is important to us at Smallpdf to give you insights into how we process your data to assure you that the answer to “Is Smallpdf safe?” is “yes”.
Encryption & HTTPS
The security of your data is of the utmost importance to us. When you access our website, you will always proceed with a secure connection. You can verify this by looking for the “https” prefix and the padlock symbol in your browser’s search bar. What this means is that the page you are visiting is using secure data transfer protocols. They encrypt the data you send to this website so no outsider can see it. Other sites which may not have this protocol in place will show “http” pages instead. Depending on your browser, you may see an information icon instead of the padlock. Of course, HTTPS is the minimal standard we set for ourselves at Smallpdf, and we use state-of-the-art encryption techniques to ensure the safety of your data.
Safety Standards
We comply with the globally accepted ISO/IEC standardization for applying an information safety management system (ISO 27001:2013). This means we have an excellent security system in place, keep sure it operates at all times, and continually take measures to improve it. ISO is an international organisation with the goal to create standards in many areas. These standards ensure that products and services are safe, of high quality, and efficient. ISO operates as an independent, non-governmental agency, thus their process is free of bias or influenced by political interest.
Our Servers
An integral part of our pledge to keep your data safe is the location of our servers where your data is processed. Why is this important, you ask? For one, the server location impacts the speed of your request, for two, the location determines under which legislature it falls. A server in the United States, for example, is subject to the Patriot Act, which makes any data stored in the country technically accessible to the US government. Our servers, however, are safe and sound in Ireland, so they fall under the data laws of the European Union, which are, as we know, much stricter and user-centered.
Data Storage
Your files are your business, not ours. Our prerogative is to help you get the job done you set out to do; be it to make your PDF smaller for sending it out to others, to combine different documents into one easily, or to convert documents to or from PDF hassle-free. To do this, you upload your file to our servers and download the result. That means that your file makes a stop on our servers to fulfill your request. However, we do not store your file for longer than an hour. Within this time, you can download the result and go about your day. Afterwards, we will permanently delete your files after one hour of processing.
Should you log into your customer account with Smallpdf and use the file storage, your files will be available to you on our servers for as long as you deem fit. Should you delete a file from your online storage with Smallpdf, we will remove it from our servers instantaneously. We do not keep any part of your file post-removal.
An exception to our one-hour deletion policy is the Smallpdf eSign service. eSign lets you upload a PDF for signing—either yourself or to request someone else’s signature. When you send your PDF to someone for signing, we keep the file online for signing for 14 days. To make your file available for signing and allow you to identify all changes made to your document, we will store your document on our safe servers for another 14 days from when the signee finishes the request.
Who Can See My Documents?
When you upload a document to Smallpdf, only you can see it. No one but you can view, edit, or otherwise access your files unless you explicitly give them permission to do so. The above mentioned state-of-the-art SSL encryption and our secure servers guarantee the safety of your data 100%. Whether you’re using Smallpdf convert or edit your documents or to store files using your customer account, you are in complete control of your files and who can see, edit, or otherwise access them.
Is Smallpdf Safe?
The safety of your data is of the utmost importance to us. Every step of the way, your documents are protected by SSL encryption, secure European servers, and your own control over them. We strive to provide you with an extensive, easy-to-use, and secure service that helps you to get things done without hassle. But take not only our word for it: TrustRadius named Smallpdf the top-rated Document Management System 2019. Read more about the award and its significance here. Plus, we have the ISO certification to ensure the smooth running of our daily operations, and keeping files safe for 25+ million monthly users.
We recognize that “Is Smallpdf Safe?” is an important and justified question and hope to have given you all the information you need to conclude that Smallpdf is the right service for you.
