can part of a document be protected?

[diana]

I have a question regarding word template.

and I was wondering if this can be done or not. Ive not known it too but...

Can a word template:
• Includes a page where the first part of the page can only be edited by a user and eventually signed it using digital signature;
• Once the user signed it, no one can edits it with the exception of the user.
• This form is sent electronically to an approver; he/she can sign the form at the bottom of the page using digital signature. The approver can only access the bottom part where he/she puts the digital signature

To explain more, person A filled out a request that needs to be approved and signed by person B. person A needs to sign the request using digital signature and pass it onto person B for approval. Is there any way that the first section where I signed it can no longer be edited except me but the bottom section where you need to sign is editable by you?

many thanks

diana

[HansV]

As you probably know, you can protect a document for forms, and specify which sections of the document (as defined by section breaks) are protected and which ones aren't. In protected sections, only text in formfields can be edited, while the text in unprotected sections can be edited freely.
So you could place the parts of the document to be signed in unprotected sections. Once you have signed, protect everytthing except for the section to be signed by the other.

Keep in mind that although you can protect the document for forms with a password, it is not difficult to create an unprotected copy of the document and alter the copy...

[stuck]

My understanding of applying a digital signature is that it applies to the whole doc. Thus regardless of whether or not the top part of the doc is editable, if it is edited after the doc was signed that would 'break' the digital signature, i.e. it would be apparent that the doc has been changed since it was signed because the signature is no longer valid.

Ken

[HansV]

I wasn't certain what Diana meant by "digital signature". If it means signing by means of a digital certificate, you're correct - it applies to the document as a whole, you can't apply it to part of a document.

[stuck]

At work I use a digital certificate to lock the final version of a report, which is a PDF created from a Word doc. The magic that does this for me is outlined here:
Adobe's certified document services

Ken

[HansV]

An interesting service, thanks!

[stuck]

Yes, it's very clever and trivial to use.

Insert the USB token that holds the certificate, use Adobe Pro to create the PDF, click on the Sign button, step through the options and it's all done.

The resulting PDF can then be opened by anyone, anywhere and, as long as they use Reader 7 or greater and their PC can reach the internet, the certificate's validity is automatically checked and displayed.

It cost us ~£1000 to get the certificate, plus the price of Adobe Pro to be able to use it but within the first year it had saved us much, much more than the set up costs because we no longer had to produce bound hard copies of our reports.

Ken