Dangerzone For Mac

PDF files and other types of documents you receive as mail attachments have the potential to be dangerous. They can include scripts that trigger certain actions and install malware or leak information.

Dangerzone is an open-source app designed to serve as a cleaner for all kinds of documents that you absolutely need to open, even if they trigger a few red flags. It uses Docker containers and goes through multiple steps to produce a safe, readable, searchable document.

For most people, ignoring a file you received from an unknown sender, accompanied by a suspicious message, is a given. Unfortunately, journalists can’t ignore a potential lead, so they still need to be able to view these documents. This can apply to other professionals as well.

PDF files can contain a lot more than just text and images, making them a good carrier for malware, especially since many users don’t image that a simple document could in any way compromise their computer.

First off, you’ll need to have Docker Desktop installed and running. After loading your document(s), the app will use a container to convert the document to PDF, split it into pages and convert them to PNG, turn these into RGB pixel data, and then store this data in a separate volume.

A second container is then loaded, where the RGB data is converted to PDF. If using OCR, the pixel data will first be converted to PNG and then turned into searchable PDFs. The file is then saved on your Mac and can be opened safely.

Aside from just securing files, Dangerzone can also improve them. PDFs are compressed automatically in order to reduce file size, and you have the option to enable OCR so as to detect text in images and non-searchable PDF files.

In short, if you need to open suspicious PDF files, office documents, or images, Dangerzone is a must-have. Even if a document is almost certain to be malicious, this app can allow you to read it without exposing your Mac and your data to potential threats.