May 28, 2026 · All agencies
Secure PDF Handling Update
We've made a small but important change to how certain PDF files are accessed in Guardian. Going forward, some PDF files will download to your computer instead of opening directly in your browser.
Video walkthrough
Prefer to watch?
We put together a short video walkthrough of this update. If you'd rather see it in action than read about it, jump straight to the player.
Watch the walkthrough →Why the change?
Files generated by Guardian are built entirely from data already inside the platform, so there's nothing in them that could pose a risk to your session.
Files that originate from outside sources, however, can contain hidden content that our system cannot fully control. Downloading those files first eliminates any potential risk to your active Guardian session before you open them.
Which files will download?
The next time you click any of the files listed below, you'll be prompted to save the file to your computer instead of opening it in the browser.
ID Report (PDF Export)
The ID Report is a compiled collection of PDFs associated with an investigation file. Because it draws from multiple sources, it will download to your computer when accessed.
Supervisor Only Files (File Manager)
These files may be password-protected or contain interactive elements. To preserve any built-in functionality, Guardian does not compress or modify them. They will be downloaded when clicked.
Document Library
Like Supervisor Only files, documents uploaded to the Document Library by your agency users are not compressed or modified by Guardian. They will download when clicked.
Inbound Faxes / Emails (Agency Check Responses)
Responses received from outside agencies originate from sources outside of Guardian and will download when clicked.
Vendor Reports (Credit Checks, Social Media, Brains Assessment)
These are external reports retrieved directly from third-party providers. Because they are not processed by Guardian, they will download instead of opening in the browser.
Questions
- Do I need to do anything?
- No. This update happens automatically — you don't need to change anything in your workflow. The transition is seamless.
- Is it safe to download those files to my computer?
- Yes. This vulnerability only applies to viewing certain PDFs in a browser while you are actively logged into Guardian. All PDF files received by Guardian are scanned for viruses before you access them, so they are safe to open once downloaded.
Thanks for reading — and thanks, as always, for partnering with us.
Questions? Reach our support team at support@guardianalliancetechnologies.com