Tips to encrypt documents and PDF files with Office

Microsoft Office allows you to encrypt your documents or secure your PDF files, which makes it possible to protect your document with a password. In other words, if you set a password on a document, then no one can open it without it.

In this article we’ll tell you how to password protect documents and PDF files. The instruction was created in Office 2016 but is suitable for other versions of the office.

How secure is it to password protect a document?

In Office 2007 and above, Microsoft took security more seriously and switched to Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Now, if you set a password for a document, it will be very difficult to crack it, and in theory your document will be completely safe.

In document protection, you can set a password for editing a document. That is, a person without a password will be able to view documents, but not edit. This type of protection can be easily cracked and removed. Therefore, if you set a password, then it is desirable for the entire document.

Second caveat: password encryption works well if you save documents in modern formats such as docx. If you save the document in the old format, such as doc, the office will use the old and weak type of encryption.

In general, if you save documents in a modern format and set a password for the entire document, your documents are safe.

How to protect Office documents with a password?

To protect, that is, to set a password for any Office document, you need to open it first. It doesn't matter what you open - Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access. In an open document, go to the "File" in the upper left => Information => click on the "Document Protection" button => Encrypt with a password.

In Word, this button is "Document Protection", in Excel - "Book Protection", in PowerPoint - "Presentation Protection", in Microsoft Access - Password Protection. But all around this button is in the "Details".

Also, using this button, you can simply restrict editing so that people without a password can see the document but not edit it. To do this, select "Limit editing." But as described above - this is not safe.

Create and enter a password, and then click OK. The more complicated the password is, the harder it is to pick it up, if you specify your birthday as the password, then do not be surprised if it is opened without problems. Although it may in this way you make subordinates remember when you have a name day. It is best to use numbers, letters and signs, so that everything is.

If you forgot your password - forget about the document, it will be very difficult to crack it .

In the confirmation window, enter the password again and click "OK"

Now save and close the document, and if you open it again, you will be asked for a password to open it.

To remove the password, go to "File" => Details => click on "Document Security" => Encrypt with password => leave the password field blank and click "OK" => the password will be deleted from the document.

How to Secure your PDF file by creating password? 

You can also export any Office document to a PDF file and password protect it or you can also try third party tool like pdfbeaver.com to secure you PDF. 

·         Open an Office document (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) => go to "File" => Export => Create a PDF / XPS document => click on the "Create PDF / XPS" button

·         In the window that opens, select "Options" => check the box "Encrypt document with password" and click "OK"

·         Create and enter a password in the field "Password" and "Confirmation" => click "OK". Try not to forget it, so as not to encounter a "pleasant" pastime with the theme "Guess so I can write here."

·         Choose a location to save the PDF, and click Publish.

·         Now find the saved PDF file and try to open, while opening it you will be asked for a password.

This function allows you to protect important documents. That's all for today, if there are additions - write comments! Good luck to you.