Security and data protection are one of the main directions of development of modern information technologies. The relevance of this problem is not decreasing, but only growing. Data protection is especially important for tabular files, which often store important information commercial in nature. Let's learn how to protect Excel files with a password.
The program developers were well aware of the importance of being able to set a password specifically for Excel files, so they introduced several options for performing this procedure. At the same time, it is possible to set a key both for opening a book and for changing it.
Method 1: Set a password when saving a file
One method involves setting a password directly when saving the Excel workbook.
This way we protected the Excel file. Now, to open and edit it, you will need to enter the appropriate passwords.
Method 2: Set a password in the "Information" section
The second method involves setting a password in the Excel section "Intelligence".
Method 3: Setting a password and removing it in the “Review” tab
The ability to set a password also exists in the tab "Review".
As we can see, the program Microsoft Excel offers several ways to protect a file with a password, both from intentional hacking and from unintentional actions. You can password protect both opening a book and editing or changing its individual structural elements. At the same time, the author himself can determine from which changes he wants to protect the document.
Good day to everyone, dear friends! How are you? Personally, I have it on Friday, but it’s not so hot on the street. Anyway. Please tell me which one office suite do you use? I'm sure most of you use Microsoft Office, and I'm no exception. And of course, everyone probably knows about Excel too. So, did you know that Excel has a built-in security feature?
No, I don't mean antivirus. What I mean is that you can protect this document with a password. In one of my articles I talked, but I don’t see the point in using the program presented in that article if you need to protect an Excel document or information that can be placed in Text Document(eg names, passwords, etc.).
In general, today I will show you how to put a password on an Excel file, if you don’t already know it. Moreover, all these methods work perfectly in both version 2010 and version 2013. Let's go!
Password protection for opening
All. Now exit Excel and open this document again. A window will pop up where you will need to enter your password. Just don’t forget the document passwords, otherwise, unlike other Internet services, you won’t be able to recover them by email or phone.
Edit protection
In addition to the usual password protection, you can block some specific functions on a separate sheet, or on the entire workbook. Let's see how it's done.
Well? Everything worked out? I think you shouldn't have any problems. But if you still have problems, please contact us. I'll help you).
Alternative way
You can set a password in a slightly different way.
Now let's try to go into the saved document and see how it works in action. If you set both passwords, then first you will have to break through the opening protection, and then through the editing protection (or open the document read-only).
In general, as you can see, there are a whole bunch of ways to protect an Excel document. So you can choose any one.
Well, this is where I end the article. I really hope that these tips will be useful to you in life. Be sure to subscribe to my blog updates to stay up to date with all the most interesting things. Best wishes to you. See you in other articles. Bye bye!
Best regards, Dmitry Kostin
Password protecting Excel workbook(at the file level), controls access in two ways: it allows the user to log in, and it allows the user to save changes. Before we discuss the protection function Excel password, let's be clear what we mean by protection.
Although the terms "security" and "protection" are usually used interchangeably, functionally in Excel, they are not the same thing. Security allows you to choose who can access your data. Security restricts users to only viewing and not making changes. Security is access, protection is maintaining integrity.
To assign a password to an Excel file, follow these steps:
Step 3. In the dialog box that appears, you can set two passwords: one to open the workbook and one to edit the workbook. Extra options allow you to set encryption options for added security.
Step 4. Enter one or both passwords and click OK.
Step 5. Confirm each password and click OK.
On a note! to open the book is self-explanatory. If the user does not know the password, he or she cannot open the file. Remember that this password only holds users back. A user who knows this password has access to all data and can change the data once.
By assigning a second password, you can allow users to open the workbook and view data, but not allow users to actually modify the workbook. A user who knows this password can view and change data and save changes to the workbook.
A user who does not know the password can view the data, but it is read-only. This user can still change the data, but a password-protected workbook will prevent the user from saving the changes. This user simply cannot save changes to the protected workbook. However, the user can enter a new name and create a new workbook.
Video - Password Protecting a Microsoft Excel File
Security at the sheet level
You can protect not only the entire file or book, but also individual sheets of the document. This is just as easy to do, look at the screenshots below.
Step 1. In the Review section, select the level of protection you require.
Step 2. Enter your password, selecting the type of protection you require.
Click on the "OK" button. From this moment on, the document or its components will be safe; no one will be able to edit them. This doesn't mean other people won't be able to access them.
Password encryption
In addition to security, Microsoft Excel allows you to encrypt a file using a separate password. This process will be irreversible if you forget your password. In this case, you will never be able to access them. Keep your password in a place inaccessible to others and don't forget it.
Setting an external password on an Excel file
In addition to the internal password, you can set up additional protection using special programs for hiding, password protection and encryption. Most of them are free and very easy to use. The table below shows the most popular programs, which help protect your Excel files.
| Encryption method | Description |
|---|---|
| Creating an encrypted archive | Windows XP allows you to create password-protected ZIP files. On Windows 7 you can download free third party program file compression. It's better to use the completely free and open source 7-Zip. Create new file, adding all confidential files to it and setting a password. All files will be encrypted |
| Encryption with TrueCrypt | Create a container that will store and protect files on your hard drive. No one will be able to access the contents of the folder without a password |
| FolderGuard | Powerful computer security software. It can be used to control access to files to other system resources. You can use FGuard to protect your personal documents and folders with passwords so that others cannot view or change them. You can password-protect any folder on your computer, allowing only authorized users to view protected files |
Video - Protecting Cells and Sheets in Microsoft Excel
On a note
Before you start password-protecting all your books, there are three important things to keep in mind:
- Anyone who has a password to change a workbook can also remove the password protection! Use this particular option wisely.
- Regular users can use a password cracking program. Yours best protection The trick to preventing this type of forgery (or theft) is to assign a very long password of random characters. This will not protect against hacking by specialized software 100%, but it will slow it down. This delay may cause a potential attacker to put off working on it.
- If you have forgotten your password and cannot log into your book and make changes, you can purchase software to crack passwords.
Excel password protection is a great feature, and fortunately, it's easy to implement. Don't confuse protection and security, don't rely only on the internal password. There are many in various ways encryption provided by third party software.
Firstly, most protection settings are now available in one place, on the File(File) > Info(Information) > Permissions(Book Protection) as seen in the picture below:
Secondly, this menu is a convenient protection management center, where all activated protection elements are listed in a very accessible way.
Unfortunately, there is one serious drawback that I have encountered: now we cannot assign separate passwords for opening and editing a file (I often use this feature in my daily work with Excel). Of course, such a possibility exists, and it is available on the tab Review(Review). In some cases, I block access to editing a file with a password, but remove the protection from opening it, thereby making life easier for the people with whom I share my spreadsheets!
What are the security tools in Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel security tools do exactly what their name says: they protect your data. The whole range of possibilities is available: protecting cells and hiding formulas, encrypting a sheet and an entire workbook. You can combine any instruments to your heart's content!
To be honest, all the security tools in MS Excel are quite primitive, they have a lot of holes and are easy to hack! Therefore, if information requires a 100% guarantee of protection, then I advise you not to rely entirely on Excel and look for alternative tools for data protection.
If you just want to protect your work from accidental changes, confirm the authenticity of the books you share, or protect yourself from prying eyes, then Microsoft Excel's security tools will be more than enough.
What protection options are available?
There are five security techniques in Excel, which can be accessed by clicking File(File) > Info(Information) > Permissions(Protection of the book). After you do this, the dialog box shown in the figure below will open.
In the following parts of the article I will provide explanations, instructions, keyboard shortcuts and examples for each technique.
Marking an Excel document as final
The first protection mechanism is to declare the file “completed” and disable all editing rights. It is useful for protecting the book from accidental changes by users, including you!
To use this tool, select Mark as Final(Mark as final) and confirm your decision in the warning window that appears, as shown in the image below.
Click OK. If this is your first time using this tool, you may see an information window like this:
Click again OK and note that this protection mode is now displayed under Info(Details) tab File(File) in your book.
If, after marking the file as final, you want to make any changes to it, just click the button Edit Anyway(Edit Anyway) in the information bar that appears along the top edge of the workspace when you open a workbook.
Protecting Excel files with a password
Probably the most popular tool for protecting Excel files is password encryption. This tool is especially useful for protecting against prying eyes or when transmitting confidential information through email. In this mode, the user must enter a password to open the file.
To use this mechanism, select Encrypt with Password(Encrypt using password) in the window File(File) > Info(Information) > Permissions(Book protection), and this window will open asking you for a password:
You should take seriously the warning about storing your passwords securely, as there is absolutely no way to recover a forgotten password in Excel!
Click OK to confirm your password. Please note that the password protection mode in this moment active, now displayed in the section Info(Details) tab File(File):
You can still enable password protection when saving a file, and perhaps you'll do it the old fashioned way if you're like me and like to protect your files with passwords from being changed.
To use the good old password protection technique, click File(File) > Save As(Save As) and then click General Options(General Settings) next to the button Save(Save) to open the dialog box General Options(Common parameters).
The first option in this window allows you to create backup copy file every time it is opened in the future. Next, you can enter passwords to open and/or change the file, and as already mentioned, they do not have to be the same!
Protecting an Excel Sheet
This tool protects all cells on the selected worksheet and saves them as they were when protection was enabled.
By default, all cells are locked, but, if necessary, you can specify the desired set available tools formatting. This tool is especially useful for creating data entry forms in Excel when you want information to be entered only in certain cells.
To change cell protection:
By default, all cells are locked. This means that if the sheet is protected, nothing can be changed. If you check the box next to the option Hidden(Hide formulas), the formulas in the cells will be hidden.
If you decide to use protected, hidden and open cells on one sheet, then it would be more advisable to use MS Excel styles. More detailed instructions For information on using styles, see the corresponding article.
This tool can also be accessed from the tab Review(Review) > Changes(Changes) > Protect Worksheet(Protect sheet).
In addition, to install and remove protection from Excel sheet There is a quick keyboard shortcut - Alt+TPP(Alt+RZT).
Protect your entire workbook
This tool is used to protect workbook settings, that is, the order of sheets, the ability to manage hidden sheets, and the ability to delete or add new sheets.
To activate workbook protection, click File(File) > Info(Information) > Protect Workbook Structure(Protect the structure of the book). A dialog box will open Protect Structure and Windows(Protection of structure and windows):
Note: You can enable structure and/or window protection, they are not mutually exclusive.
- Structure protection– this is protection of a sequence of sheets, protection from hiding and showing hidden sheets, deleting and adding new sheets.
- Window protection– this is protection against changes in the size and position of windows. For example, protection against moving, resizing and closing windows.
As in the previous case, you can set a password if you wish.
These settings can be accessed the old way: Review(Review) > Changes(Changes) > Protect Workbook(Protect the book).
Also, to set workbook protection in Excel, there is a quick keyboard shortcut Alt+TPW(Alt+РЗь).
Add a digital signature to an Excel file
One of the new options added to the security range is adding a digital signature (also known as Digital ID) to your file.
To fully use this tool, you will need a digital ID issued by an electronic certification body. For more detailed information about electronic certification bodies, consult the Microsoft Office website.
This tool guarantees authenticity, integrity, non-repudiation and notarizes your file by adding a digital signature to it.
To use this feature, click Add a Digital Signature(Add Digital Signature) tab File(File) in section Info(Intelligence). A dialog box for working with digital signature will open, as shown below.
Also, note that the file has also been marked as final, as it goes without saying digital signature indicates that nothing has changed since it was added.
If a digitally signed file is modified in any way, the digital signature will be removed and a warning like this may appear:
How to remove protection
The following example shows how to remove encryption protection from an Excel file. To remove any of the protection options in Microsoft Excel, follow the steps listed in the following example only for the protection option you need.
Example: Removing an encryption password from an Excel file
I hope this short article has made it clearer about the different types of security available in Microsoft Excel today.
It seems to me very convenient to have all the security tools in one place, except for the fact that there is no password protection against changes. Of course, now I am reconsidering my attitude towards working with security tools in Excel, and in the process of writing this article the thought came to me: am I too jealous of my files?!
How and why do you use Microsoft Excel security tools? If you have any ideas or suggestions, please leave them in the comments.
Good day to everyone, dear friends! How are you? Personally, I have it on Friday, but it’s not so hot on the street. Anyway. Please tell me, what office package do you use? I'm sure most of you use Microsoft Office, and I'm no exception. And of course, everyone probably knows about Excel too. So, did you know that Excel has a built-in security feature?
No, I don't mean antivirus. What I mean is that you can protect this document with a password. I talked about it in one of my articles, but I don’t see the point in using the program presented in that article if you need to protect an Excel document or information that can be placed in a text document (for example, names, passwords, etc.).
In general, today I will show you how to put a password on an Excel file, if you don’t already know it. Moreover, all these methods work perfectly in both version 2010 and version 2013. Let's go!
Password protection for opening
All. Now exit Excel and open this document again. A window will pop up where you will need to enter your password. Just don’t forget the document passwords, otherwise, unlike other Internet services, you won’t be able to recover them by email or phone.
Edit protection
In addition to the usual password protection, you can block some specific functions on a separate sheet, or on the entire workbook. Let's see how it's done.
Well? Everything worked out? I think you shouldn't have any problems. But if you still have problems, please contact us. I'll help you).
Alternative way
You can set a password in a slightly different way.
Now let's try to go into the saved document and see how it works in action. If you set both passwords, then first you will have to break through the opening protection, and then through the editing protection (or open the document read-only).
In general, as you can see, there are a whole bunch of ways to protect an Excel document. So you can choose any one.
Well, this is where I end the article. I really hope that these tips will be useful to you in life. Be sure to subscribe to my blog updates to stay up to date with all the most interesting things. Best wishes to you. See you in other articles. Bye bye!
Best regards, Dmitry Kostin