Page 451 - Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies

Chapter 1: Protecting Workbooks and Worksheet Data
In This Chapter
✓ Assigning a password to open a workbook
✓ Assigning a password to make changes in a workbook
✓ Using the Locked and Hidden protection formats
✓ Protecting a worksheet and selecting what actions are allowed
✓ Enabling cell range editing by particular users in a protected sheet ✓ Protecting a workbook
✓ Protecting and sharing a workbook
Before you start sending out your spreadsheets for review (especially out of house), you need to make them secure. Security in Excel exists on two levels. The first is protecting the workbook file so that only people entrusted with the password can open the file to view, print, or edit the data. The second is protecting the worksheets in a workbook from unwar- ranted changes so that only people entrusted with that password can make modifications to its contents and design.
When it comes to securing the integrity of your spreadsheets, you can decide which aspects of the sheets in the workbook your users can and cannot change. For example, you might prevent changes to all formulas and headings in a spreadsheet, while still enabling users to make entries in the cells referenced in the formulas themselves.
Password-Protecting the File
By password-protecting the workbook, you can prevent unauthorized users from opening the workbook and/or editing the workbook. You set a pass- word for opening the workbook file when you’re dealing with a spreadsheet whose data is of a sufficiently sensitive nature that only a certain group
of people in the company should have access to it (such as spreadsheets dealing with personal information and salaries). Of course, after you set the password required in order to open the workbook, you must supply this password to those people who need access in order to make it possible for them to open the workbook file.