Encrypt Microsoft Office Documents (Windows)

Owned by Grosshandler, Mike
Last updated: Aug 15, 2024
2 min read

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Sensitive data sent in email to non-albany.edu addresses travels over the public internet in plain text. It is highly recommended that such data be encrypted using the procedure below before attaching the document in email. 

Instructions

  1. Click the File tab -> Protect Document -> Encrypt with Password.

  2. Type in a password and click OK.

  3. Reenter the password and click OK.

  4. After choosing a password you should see that your document is encrypted.

Additional Information

If you are e-mailing, it is recommended to use an alternative form of communication (e.g. phone call) to share the password used to encrypt the file. Do not send the password in the same email as the encrypted file.

Use an encrypted password manager or keep a plain text copy of the encrypted document as a safeguard against losing or forgetting the password. Without the password, you will not be able to open and read the encrypted version of the document.

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