\nIt\u00a0isn’t\u00a0just about stopping people from making changes to Excel documents.\u00a0 You may want colleagues to enter data, and to focus on that \u2013 and not to worry about how the formulas work.<\/p>\n
Protecting data to maintain confidentiality<\/strong> Excel has a range of options available to you for protecting your work, from individual cells to worksheets, or workbooks. These options are available in the Review tab, under the Changes section, and in the backstage view.<\/p>\n Protecting your Excel Workbooks<\/strong><\/p>\n Protection via Read-only status Mark as Final <\/strong> Encryption<\/strong> Other options for protecting parts of your Excel Workbook<\/strong><\/p>\n Locking Cells<\/strong> Using permissions Protect your workbook by setting up digital signatures<\/strong>.
\nSome worksheets are, by their nature, confidential.\u00a0 Staff salary information for example, occupational health records or commercially sensitive data such as information on competitors or financial data.<\/p>\n![\"review-tab-protection-excel-training\"](\"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/exceltraining\/files\/2012\/12\/review-tab-protection-excel-training.png\")
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\n<\/strong>You can protect your Excel document by making it read-only. Your colleagues or clients can read the document, analyse the data in it, but not edit it, add to it, or change a thing.<\/p>\n
\nWith this option, no-one can edit your document as the features that allow editing, are not available.<\/p>\n
\nThis protects a document by applying a password system \u2013 but be warned, if you have to try and remember fifty squillion different passwords at work, this may tip you over the edge.\u00a0 If you forget the password for your Excel document, you won\u2019t be able to get a reminder.\u00a0 If you use this, find a way to remember your passwords.<\/p>\n
\nThis feature allows you to protect individual cells \u2013 useful for protecting your formulas or links.\u00a0 \u00a0The rest of your worksheet is unprotected. This option works well where colleagues share a document and are responsible for updating your database, but don\u2019t have the expertise to set up the formulas.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Excel allows you to set up permissions using your Windows accounts and IDs.\u00a0 Here, you can set permissions for certain users only.\u00a0 This option is suitable if your document is in a shared drive and you want to protect sensitive or confidential data.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nIn the backstage view you can apply a digital signature, which can be invisible to other users.<\/p>\n