How to Protect A Word Document: A Comprehensive Guide

We all store and share countless Microsoft Word documents pretty much every day. Have you ever considered the safety of the private and sensitive information these documents contain? Cybercriminals can compromise your device or eavesdrop on your connection to get a hold of your unprotected Word documents. 

Next time you’re about to save a Word document, keep in mind the repercussions of having your personal or confidential work documents exposed. Fortunately, Microsoft Word comes with built-in password protection, which can safekeep your documents from unauthorized access. 

Word’s password protection feature offers several options and customizations to give you complete control over your files’ security and privacy. Let’s walk you through the steps of password protecting your Word documents for different versions of MS Word (Office 365, Word 2007 & 2010) in both Windows and macOS.

Does Password Protecting a Word Document Encrypt It?

Yes, password protecting a Word document automatically encrypts the file. If someone tries to access your document without a password, they won’t be able to view its contents. You get 256-bit AES encryption with Office 2016 and above and 128-bit AES encryption with Office 2010 and above. Even the earlier versions of MS Office had some sort of proprietary encryption mechanism. 

If you’re using an older version of MS Office, you can always use additional encryption software, such as BitLocker, for stronger encryption and better security. Bear in mind, password protecting your documents only encrypts the contents of the particular file, not your online communications. Use a trusted VPN like CyberGhost to protect your online traffic and communication when sharing documents with friends and colleagues. 

How to Password Protect a Word Document: A Step-by-Step Guide

You can password protect your MS Word documents in just a few simple steps, regardless of your MS Word version or OS. Here’s how:

How to Password Protect a Word Document in Office 365?

Office 365, rebranded as Microsoft 365, makes it super easy to password protect your documents. Follow the exact same steps to enable password protection in Office 2019 and Office 2021. 

1. Open the Word document you want to password protect.
2. Click File in the top left corner of your screen.

3. Select Info from the left-hand menu.
4. Click Protect Document and select Encrypt with Password.

5. Type a strong password in the pop-up window, and click OK.

6. Re-enter your password, and click OK once again.

7. Save the document to ensure password protection takes effect.
   

Congratulations, your Word document is now password protected and encrypted. Even if someone manages to access your computer physically, they can’t access this document without the password you chose. Here’s the catch though: Unlike most passwords, you can’t retrieve or recover this one if you lose it. Make sure you write it down somewhere safe. 

How to Password Protect a Word Document in MS Word 2010?

1. Open the document you want to password protect in MS Word 2010.
2. Click File on the top left corner of the window.
3. Click Info from the left-hand menu.
4. Click Protect Document, and select Encrypt with Password from the drop-down list.

5. Enter a strong password in the dialogue box that appears, and click OK.
6. Re-enter the same password, and click OK.
7. Save the document to ensure password protection takes effect.

That’s it! Your document is now secure with a strong password. 

How to Password Protect a Word Document in Office 2007

If you’re still using MS Word 2007, know that the password protect feature doesn’t use the standard AES encryption. Regardless, here’s how you can add a password to Word 2007 files:

1. Open the document you want to password protect.
2. Click on the Microsoft Office button (the round button in the top left corner of the window).
3. Click Prepare from the menu.
4. Select Encrypt Document from the submenu.

5. Enter a strong password in the Password field, and click OK.
6. Re-enter the password in the Confirm Password box, and click OK once again. 
7. Save the document to ensure password protection takes effect.

An Alternate Method for Password Protecting Word Documents 

Here’s an alternate method for password protecting your Word documents. It works with pretty much all MS Word versions above.

1. Open the Word document you want to password protect. 
2. Click File on the top left corner and then select Save As from the menu.

3. Choose a name for your file, and select a location for storing the document in the Save As dialog box that pops up.

4. In the bottom of the Save As dialog box, click Tools and select General Options from the drop-down menu.

5. In the General Options box that appears, enter a strong password in the Password to open field. 

6. You can also add an additional password for modifying the document. Simply enter another password in the Password to modify field.
7.  Click OK at the bottom of the General Options dialog box.
8. Type your password again in the Confirm Password pop-up window and click OK

9. Enter your Password to modify in the next pop up window and click OK to confirm it.
10. Finally, click Save at the bottom of the Save As dialog box.

8. Save the document to ensure password protection takes effect.

Depending on the version of Microsoft Word you’re using, you can choose one of the methods above to password protect documents on any version of Windows OS, including Windows 10 and Windows 11. 

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How to Password Protect a Word Document in macOS

Microsoft Word is often a must-have, even for Mac users. Luckily, Mac users don’t have to miss out on cool MS Word features either. You can password protect Word documents on your macOS just as easily as you would on Windows. Here are the steps: 

1. Open the Word document you want to password protect on your computer. 
2. Click Tools in the menu bar and then select Protect Document from the drop-down menu.

3. Enter a password in the Set a password to open this document field.

4. You can also select a password for the Set a password to modify this document field.
5. Click OK at the bottom of the Password Protect dialog box to add your passwords.
6. In the pop-up window that appears next, re-enter your password and click OK to confirm it.

7. Save the document on your MacBook.

Your Word document is now password protected. Next time anyone tries to open the document, they’ll have to enter the password you just set up. They’ll also need an additional password to modify the document if you’ve set one for modification. These simple steps will ensure no one gets unauthorized access or editing privileges on your document. 

BitLocker Encryption: How It Can (and Can’t) Protect Your Word Documents

BitLocker is a full disk encryption feature built into several Windows versions. It encrypts the entire contents of a hard drive, preventing unauthorized access to all Word documents stored on the drive as well. Mind that you can’t password protect individual Word documents with BitLocker. This means, once you store or share those documents outside the encrypted drive, anyone can access and edit them. 

For setting up passwords on individual Word documents, stick with the MS Office encryption feature following the steps above.  

How CyberGhost VPN Can Keep Your Documents Secure

Password protected or not, make sure you turn on CyberGhost VPN when sharing sensitive documents online. Malicious actors can intercept your connection to steal your documents in transit. They can also crack or steal the password to access the contents. Not to mention anything else you share or do online. That’s why it’s equally important to have a secure and encrypted internet connection. 

How to Remove Password from a Word Document

Follow these steps to remove a password from a Word document:

1. Open the password-protected Word document in Microsoft Word.
2. Go to  File > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password.
3. Delete the existing password from the password prompt dialog box. 
4. Click Ok or Remove Password. Click File > Save to save the document without a password. 

Simple, right? Not so much if you’ve lost the original password and can’t open the Word document to begin with. According to Microsoft, if you forget or misplace the password, your document will be locked forever. 

Your only bet would be to use a third-party password recovery tool or service. I don’t recommend that because external tools may come with risks such as malware injection and data theft. So, exercise caution and ensure you download software or use services from reputable sources. 

Microsoft also has a rather complex workaround for IT admins concerned about end-users losing access to password protected documents. Administrators can deploy Microsoft’s DocRecrpt tool before password protecting any files. 

The process involves using Group Policy to associate a certificate with password-protected documents, which can later be used to recover password-protected files via command prompt. As an end-user, it’s much easier to pick an easy-to-remember password and keep it somewhere safe.

Keep Your Documents Safe With Password Protection and CyberGhost VPN

Document sharing is inevitable, but online safety isn’t. With the right knowledge and tools, protecting your documents is easy no matter where they are. MS Word’s built-in encryption and password protection feature is a great starting point, but you can also take additional steps to safeguard your personal information and confidential documents. 

When you use CyberGhost VPN, you’re not only protecting your personal or work-related documents but also your entire digital presence. Our secure and private VPN tunnel ensures that your connection is safe from prying eyes. Keep your digital identity and assets private and secure with our 45-day money-back guarantee. Download CyberGhost VPN today, and stay safe online. 

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