How to Password Protect Microsoft Office Documents
In this age of electronic documents, It is becoming more and more necessary to take the steps to protect our electronic information. Email’s and USB drives are making it very easy for data thief to occur. Since the technology to fully secure email and USB keys has not come along yet, we need to be proactive and start to password protect our individual documents. This only takes a couple seconds on each file and is a good way to start securing our information today! Please follow the simple steps below.
Step 1:
First, identify the document that you want to protect. In Office 2007 and beyond, click the Office symbol (the circle with the colored squares) in the upper left corner, and select "Prepare" followed by "Encrypt Document." You should see a dialog box appear. In older versions of Office (before Office 2007), open the "Save As" dialog box. You can do this by either going to the "File" menu or clicking the appropriate icon on the menu bar/strip. Then select the "Tools" option from the dialog box and click "Security Options..." to bring up the appropriate dialog box.
Step 2:
In both versions of Office, you should be presented with an area (text box) where you can type in a password. Do this now and make sure you remember your password. Write it down on a piece of paper if you have to. If you forget it, you will not be able to open your document.
Step 3:
Then press the "OK" button to submit your password and close the dialog box.
Now when you open your document you will be asked for the "Password".
PLEASE DO NOT SEND PASSWORD FOR THE DOCUMENT IN THE SAME EMAIL! Send a separate email with the password.
Microsoft Office 2003 and Before:
Microsoft Office 2007 and After:
Please make sure you do this to any files you are sending through the email that have HIPPA protected information, and if you are putting files on a USB hard drive. (Thumb Drive)
Thank you,
Will Farrar – Information Technology Director –