How to convert potentially dangerous PDFs, documents and images to safe files?

Many times you receive a document that could be dangerous. It may contain malicious code that could be running on your computer. Although Windows Defender or other security software warns you of external documents, you may need to open it. If so, you can use the Dangerous zone software to convert potentially dangerous PDFs, documents and images to Safe PDF.

Note: Hardware-assisted virtualization and data execution protection must be enabled in the BIOS for this to work. Check if your computer supports virtualization.

Convert potentially dangerous PDFs, documents and images to safe PDF

If you are wondering why you would even want to do it? Suppose you have received a document from a reliable source, but you are warned of its authenticity. However, the document you know contains information and is essential. This is where you use it. We do not recommend that you download and use documents from SPAM e-mails or any place you do not trust.

Dangerzone software opens these types of documents in a sandbox using Windows Docker Desktop. Sandboxing ensures that even if code is executed, it does not have access to system files and other main areas of the Windows operating system. Once opened, Dangerzone will convert the document to a PDF file. It then converts the PDF to raw pixel data: a massive list of RGB color values ​​for each page. Then, in a separate sandbox, Dangerzone takes this pixel data and converts it to PDF.

If you read clearly, there are two sandboxes. The first opens the data and converts it to PDF into raw pixel data. Then the second box takes the RAW pixel data and converts it back to PDF. The method ensures that any malware or code is removed and that only the text or image portion is rendered.

Since Docker software only works in Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, you cannot use it on the Windows Home version. This is a disadvantage. Those who are unfamiliar with Docker, so it uses virtualization at the operating system level to deliver software in packages called containers. The containers are isolated and have their own set of software.

How to use DangerZone to create a secure PDF

Download and install the software from the official website GitHub Page. During installation, you will be prompted to download Docker. Once you’ve downloaded it, install it and resume installing the software. Once you have crossed it, launch DangerZone and follow the steps below:

• Select the file using the file selector, then check each of the available boxes as required.
• Enter the name of the file with which you want to save the Safe PDF file. You can use the Save As button to select the destination path.
• Choose how you want to open the PDF document.
• If you want to use OCR, select the language
• Click Convert to secure document, and anything that is not secure in the document will be deleted.

DangerZone features

• There is no network access in Sandbox. There is therefore no way for the software to connect to the external network.
• Dangerzone can OCR the Safe PDF and also compress the file.
• You can open the PDF file in the viewer of your choice.
• Type of documents Dangerzone can convert to secure PDF
  • PDF (.pdf)
  • Microsoft Word (.docx, .doc), Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) and Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx, .ppt)
  • ODF text (.odt), ODF worksheet (.ods), ODF presentation (.odp) and ODF graphics (.odg)
  • Jpeg (.jpg, .jpeg), GIF (.gif), PNG (.png) and TIFF (.tif, .tiff)

DangerZone is advantageous security software. It ensures that potentially dangerous PDFs, documents and images are converted to Safe PDF and do not infect your computer. Since Windows offers to run these files with your consent, this is dangerous. Opening these files in Docker guarantees your security. You can download it from Github.