4 Tips and Tricks for File Encryption

It’s a business essential to encrypt sensitive data.

In fact, it’s become a business essential to encrypt just about everything you send for business, sensitive or not. Especially with colleagues and clients dispersed around the globe, even a secure file transfer service isn’t enough to stop ransomware and other malicious attacks.

There are multiple methods to encrypt files before you send them. Learn how and pick your favorite below, then make it a practice starting today.

Password-Protect Documents

You can password protect individual documents or even parts of a document. This feature is built-into most document writer apps.

For example:

• In Microsoft Word, you can password protect the whole document
• In Microsoft Excel, you can password protect the whole document or individual tabs
• The same is true of Google Docs and Sheets, too

Password protection can be set to either stop anyone from editing the document or stop someone from seeing its content. You can even “block” elements inside a design file if you want to protect the integrity of a brochure or other marketing collateral.

It’s crucial to remember the password you set for documents and to never share them via email, or that defeats the purpose. Only share password over the phone or via a text message to the recipient.

Encryption in Microsoft 365

As mentioned above, encryption is easy in individual documents like spreadsheets and text files in the Microsoft 365 suite. To password encrypt a document in Microsoft 365:

• Start from inside the document you want to protect (note: you must open it from the desktop app)
• Navigate to the “Review” ribbon
• Select “Protect” and “Add protection”
• Select “Encrypt with password”
• Enter a strong password in the encryption field
• Save and exit the document

To un-encrypt the file, files or folder, your recipient will:

• Open the document in the desktop app
• In the Review ribbon, select “Remove protection”
• Enter the password
• Save the document

Organization-wide encryption is also possible on Microsoft 365. Businesses with Office 365 Enterprise can automatically encrypt emails, or documents saved to mobile devices, or certain kinds of documents, or even files accessed from team sites or document libraries.

There are several ways to set up each of these organization-wide encryption types, so work with your IT provider to assess your need and get the configuration set up.

Use 7-Zip for Windows

To totally encrypt a file or folder on Windows, you can use the 7-Zip app. Here’s how to use it:

• Right click on the file, files or folder you want to encrypt
• Select “7-Zip” and then “add to archive”
• When the 7-Zip app opens, enter a name for the archive
• Select “zip” as the archive format
• Enter a strong password in the encryption field
• Select “AES-256” as the encryption method
• Click “OK”

To un-encrypt the file, files or folder, your recipient will:

• Right-click on the zip file
• Select “7-Zip” and then “extract files”
• When the 7-Zip app opens, enter the password
• Click “OK”
• The unzipped and unencrypted folder will appear in the same location as the original zip

Mac user? Use Keka

Just like you can use 7-Zip on Windows, on a Mac you can use the Keka application. Here’s how:

• Open the Keka app first
• Choose “zip” from the format type drop-down
• Enter a strong password
• Select “AES-256” as the encryption method
• Then you select the file, files or folders you want to share by dragging and dropping into the Keka window

To un-encrypt the file, files or folder, your recipient will have to:

• Right-click on the zip file
• Hover over “open with,” then choose “Keka”
• Enter the password
• Click “done”
• The unzipped and unencrypted folder will appear in the same location as the original zip

Encrypt the Email You Send, Too

Even after you’ve gone through all that work of encrypting a file or folder, you can send a securely encrypted email with the file, too.

Email encryption is a process of disguising the content of an email to protect it from being read by anyone other than the recipient.

The two types of email encryption are:

1. S/MIME
2. PGP/MIME

In most cases, the type of encryption is determined by the email host.

Getting a little technical? Talk to us, we want to help. How will you encrypt your files the next time you click “send?”