Secure File Encryption and Sharing Guide

This article provides University employees with standardized procedures for encrypting sensitive data and securely sharing passwords. Following these steps ensures that University information remains protected during transit and storage.

Article Purpose: This article provides University employees with standardized procedures for encrypting sensitive data and securely sharing passwords. Following these steps ensures that University information remains protected during transit and storage. 

Article Index

• Secure Password Communication
• Encrypting Microsoft Office Files (Word & Excel)
• Encrypting PDF Files (Adobe Acrobat)
• Encrypting All Other Files (7-Zip)
• Additional Assistance
   

Secure Password Communication

Never send an encrypted file and its password in the same email or via the same communication channel (such as text messages, emails, chat messages, etc) when possible. For example, you can email an encrypted file to a person, and then call them with the password to that file.

Step 1: Share the File

After encrypting your file (see the methods below for instructions), attach the newly encrypted file to an email or add the newly encrypted file to your Google Drive and share it with the intended recipient.

NOTE: If you choose to send the encrypted file via email, make sure you don’t also send the password to the intended recipient via email (same email or as a new email) as this defeats the purpose of encrypting the file altogether. See Step 2 for more information on how to send the password to the intended recipient.

Step 2: Communicate the Password

To maintain a "split-knowledge" security posture, use a secondary "out-of-band" channel to provide the password:

• Telephone: Call the recipient directly and speak the password to them.​​​​​
• SMS/Text Message: Send the password via a text message to the recipient’s mobile device.
   

Encrypting Microsoft Office Files (Word & Excel)

Microsoft Office includes native AES-256 bit encryption, which is the standard for protecting individual documents and spreadsheets.

NOTE: You must have the Microsoft Word or Excel desktop application installed to password protect your files. You cannot password protect Microsoft Word or Excel documents using the online editor.

1. Open the Word or Excel file you wish to protect.
2. Click the File tab in the top-left corner.
3. Select Info from the sidebar.
4. Click the Protect Document (Word) or Protect Workbook (Excel) button.
5. Select Encrypt with Password from the dropdown menu.
6. Enter a strong password and click OK.
7. Re-enter the password to confirm and click OK.
8. Save the file. The file is now encrypted; the password will be required every time it is opened.

NOTE: There is no way to retrieve this password or unlock the file if you forget the password.

Microsoft Word Example:

 

Microsoft Excel Example:

 

Encrypting PDF Files (Adobe Acrobat)

If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro or Standard, use the built-in security tools to lock PDFs:

1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
2. In the right-hand pane, click the Protect tool. (If not visible, find it under the Tools tab).
3. At the top of the document, select Protect Using Password.
4. In the dialog box, select Viewing to require a password to open the file.
5. Type and confirm your strong password.
6. Click Apply.
7. Save the file to finalize the encryption.
    

Encrypting All Other File (7-Zip)

For files such as images, text files, or folders containing multiple items, use 7-Zip to create a secure, encrypted archive. If you do not have this installed, please contact your Academic Technology Coordinator or the Service Desk by using the Software Installation, Upgrade, or Removal service request.

1. Right-click the file or folder you want to encrypt
2. Select 7-Zip > Add to archive…
   1. NOTE: You may need to select the “Show more options” at the bottom of the list to see the 7-Zip menu
3. In the "Archive format" dropdown, ensure zip is selected.
4. In the Encryption section (right side of the window):
   1. Enter a strong password.
   2. Set the Encryption method to AES-256.
   3. (Optional) Check Encrypt file names if using the .7z format so others cannot see the names of the files inside without the password.
5. Click OK. A new encrypted archive file will be created in the same folder.

STEPS 1 & 2:

STEPS 3-5:

 

 

Alternatively, you can launch the 7-Zip File Manager application and navigate to the same directory to create an encrypted archive:

 

Need Assistance

If you encounter any issues or require a strong password recommendation, please contact the Service Desk at (270) 809-2346 or the Information Systems Security team at msu.sse@murraystate.edu.