PDF Association logo

Discover pdfa.org

Key resources

Get involved

How do you find the right PDF technology vendor?
Use the Solution Agent to ask the entire PDF communuity!
The PDF Association celebrates its members’ public statements
of support
for ISO-standardized PDF technology.

Member Area


A case study in PDF forensics: The Epstein PDFs

This article details a PDF forensics case study on a small, random selection of the Epstein PDF files released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). The tranche contains 4,085 PDF files, with an estimated 5,879 remaining unreleased. Key findings include:

  • A difference in PDF version reporting between forensic tools.
  • The presence of two incremental updates.
  • The discovery of a hidden (orphaned) document information dictionary revealing the software used in processing.
  • The DoJ avoided JPEG images to prevent metadata leakage.
  • Overall, the DoJ’s sanitization workflow could be improved to reduce file size and information leakage.
Peter Wyatt

By Peter Wyatt
December 2025

A case study in PDF forensics: The Epstein PDFs

This article details a PDF forensics case study on a small, random selection of the Epstein PDF files released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). The tranche contains 4,085 PDF files, with an estimated 5,879 remaining unreleased. Key findings include:

  • A difference in PDF version reporting between forensic tools.
  • The presence of two incremental updates.
  • The discovery of a hidden (orphaned) document information dictionary revealing the software used in processing.
  • The DoJ avoided JPEG images to prevent metadata leakage.
  • Overall, the DoJ’s sanitization workflow could be improved to reduce file size and information leakage.
Peter Wyatt

By Peter Wyatt
December 2025

What is Google parsing?

July 2015 by PDF Association staff
Article


How search engine and other application developers can enhance their PDF-related functionality by fully supporting ISO 32000, the ISO specification for PDF.

PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff's profile.

June 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

A brief introduction to PDF 2.0, the first major revision of the PDF specification since 2006.

Article

June 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

The PDF Technical Conference 2015 is a unique opportunity to learn about the diverse capabilities and ecosystem of the ISO … Read more

Article

June 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

What is PDF/A? What does PDF/A offer, and how can I access that value? Answers to these and other questions … Read more

Article

June 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

2015’s PDF Days Europe in Cologne has proved a complete success for another year running

Article

May 2015 by Boris Doubrov
Boris Doubrov
Visit Boris Doubrov‘s profile.

How veraPDF’s purpose-built validation model addresses the challenge of PDF/A validation and opens the door to a generalized model for … Read more

Article

May 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

The Document Strategy Forum 2015 is all about electronic documents, but not so much about PDF.

Article

April 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

A set of Venn diagrams explaining the relationship between WCAG 2.0, PDF/UA and the recent Section 508 refresh NPRM.

Article

April 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

Following a successful premiere in 2014, the second edition of PDF Days Europe is about to start. On the 8th … Read more

Article

March 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

Can’t get enough of PDF? – Stay in Cologne!

Article

March 2015 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association logo
Visit PDF Association staff‘s profile.

A biplane is less complex than an airliner, but that’s not a good reason to travel by Sopwith Camel! So … Read more

Article

Member News

WordPress Cookie Notice by Real Cookie Banner