How to make a spreadsheet (be it Google Sheets or MS Excel) secure?

[Technique]

A word document too actually.

 

I was unsure whether to post here due to the 'security' part of the forum title or in the software forum.

 

Very brief backstory - i manage the accounts of 4 other family members including myself and as they don't fully know the ins and outs i need to put something together in the event that i drop dead in 5mins they would be able to make some kind of sense of it all and know what is where and why as well as what they should do (since they're not as 'into' it as me).

 

Now i was looking at storing in Google Drive and sharing these files as read-only BUT on looking in to it the advice is simply for what the data is, just don't do it. I'm not talking usernames & passwords but account numbers yes. Not just Google Drive but anything cloud based the advice was pretty much don't do it, not worth it.

 

So i'm wondering about an alternative. I don't really know what's available out there so to my little mind i can only currently think of using MS Word/Excel, filling in all the info, putting this on a USB stick and then somehow encrypting the stick. If that sounds acceptable then please go ahead & suggest ways to encrypt or encryption programs because that's all new to me.

 

Now we could get ahead of ourselves and say what about if my town gets flooded and where the family live 4 miles away don't. What if the UK suffers the worlds biggest earthquake and what if we're taken over by aliens but the chances are very slim and as far as that goes i'll take my chances.

 

Again if it's a sound idea then i was thinking storing on a USB drive at my house as well as the other house where 3 of the 5 family members live, again encrypted. Any changes then i just simply change it on the stick. The most up to date one will forever be my stick but theirs wont be too far behind and should be the same really.

 

Feedback?

 

Oh and if this would be better suited in the software forum after all then please move it there.

[dipsylalapo Supervisor]

Cloud I think is still a valid option.

 

Why not zip and password protect each file with a different password for each family. You can upload and each family can download but won't be able to access those files. 

 

That way you don't have to worry about USB sticks either.

[Ready2018]

It's very simple to make Excel spreadsheets secure by simply adding encrypting with a password:

 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-password-protect-an-excel-file/

[Technique]

18 minutes ago, dipsylalapo said:

Cloud I think is still a valid option.

 

Why not zip and password protect each file with a different password for each family. You can upload and each family can download but won't be able to access those files. 

 

That way you don't have to worry about USB sticks either.

It's not a case of one family member not being able to see another family members info. That's not really a big deal here. It's the protecting the info that's inside.

 

What zip and password setup would you use? Standard Windows zip or something moreso for this kind of thing?

 

12 minutes ago, Ready2018 said:

It's very simple to make Excel spreadsheets secure by simply adding encrypting with a password:

 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-password-protect-an-excel-file/

That looks like it might do the job.

 

How can you stop people changing the information within the sheet though? They'll have the password but how do you make it read only?

I get a bit lost with the terminology but within the 1 file there'll be numerous 'pages' (tabs at the bottom) for differing family members.

 

 

And would you protect this file even further than sticking an internal password on it as shown in your link? Or should that be perfectly fine?

[StrikedOut]

Click on File -> Save -> Browse -> Tools (dropdown menu by Save) -> General options. In there you can set 2 different passwords, one for read only and another for modify.

[+BudMan MVC]

This was already discussed like 2 months ago.. You were told then to just encrypt your file - back then you said when you encrypted stuff it didn't work later... So how is it now you are ok with encryption/passwording a file?

[Technique]

1 hour ago, BudMan said:

This was already discussed like 2 months ago.. You were told then to just encrypt your file - back then you said when you encrypted stuff it didn't work later... So how is it now you are ok with encryption/passwording a file?

I trust you that encrypting is for the best and that when passwording a zip file in the past i must have done something wrong. Not sure what but something. Wrong file types maybe, too large maybe, who knows. These will be just small documents though.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

16 minutes ago, Technique said:

I trust you that encrypting is for the best and that when passwording a zip file in the past i must have done something wrong. Not sure what but something. Wrong file types maybe, too large maybe, who knows. These will be just small documents though.

What? It's farily simple. Don't know what you are trying to do...

[Technique]

1 hour ago, Mindovermaster said:

What? It's farily simple. Don't know what you are trying to do...

Why?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

29 minutes ago, Technique said:

Why?

Why what?

 

Choose your poison:

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+encrypt+a+zip+file

[Technique]

31 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Why what?

 

Why do you not know what i'm trying to do when i've said what i'm trying to do?

 

Part of my post doesn't show up on your screen?

[Technique]

Although ... since when did WinZip become a to pay for piece of software? That was always free years ago. Sure i know there's the trial version but only for 21 days. As i don't plan on dying within the next 21 days then it's not very good.

 

The WinRAR version i have is A) old and B) technically not legit. Ok it's really not legit. And with this kind of thing i can't afford anything going wrong so it needs to be right.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

14 minutes ago, Technique said:

Why do you not know what i'm trying to do when i've said what i'm trying to do?

 

Part of my post doesn't show up on your screen?

We talked about this awhile ago. Then you make a new thread on exactly the same thing.

12 minutes ago, Technique said:

Although ... since when did WinZip become a to pay for piece of software? That was always free years ago. Sure i know there's the trial version but only for 21 days. As i don't plan on dying within the next 21 days then it's not very good.

 

The WinRAR version i have is A) old and B) technically not legit. Ok it's really not legit. And with this kind of thing i can't afford anything going wrong so it needs to be right.

Zip is open source now. Zip should be integrated to Windows 10.

[+BudMan MVC]

Just gnupg the files FREE... HIGHLY encrypted!

 

https://www.gnupg.org/

 

Way stronger than just a Password you could forget

 

Or just use 7z, allows encryption as well.

 

Been doing this stuff for years.. Here is my oldest key - from 1998

 

Still can access files encrypted to it...

 

[Technique]

2 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

 

Zip is open source now. Zip should be integrated to Windows 10.

I don't use Windows 10. I'm on Windows 7 until something comes along which i prefer the look of.

 

1 hour ago, BudMan said:

 

Way stronger than just a Password you could forget

 

 

That's something i meant to ask about...

 

Excel & Word (i'm using Office 2010 btw) offer the option to put passwords on the documents from within the document itself when you go to the save as. You can 2 layer them with read only and the option to write - a different password for each.

 

How secure is that? And is encrypting really better? Should it be done in addition to the passwording?

 

I imagine once it's been passworded / encrypted / both that it should be perfectly fine in a Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive / USB stick?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

29 minutes ago, Technique said:

Excel & Word (i'm using Office 2010 btw) offer the option to put passwords on the documents from within the document itself when you go to the save as.

I believe we told you that before.

 

30 minutes ago, Technique said:

How secure is that? And is encrypting really better? Should it be done in addition to the passwording?

encrypting is encrypting. No matter how you look at it. Think Budman said "highly encrypted" meaning there is more credentials than just a password.

 

34 minutes ago, Technique said:

I imagine once it's been passworded / encrypted / both that it should be perfectly fine in a Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive / USB stick?

Yeah, store wherever you want. Once you put a password, it can not be opened but by the person who knows the password.

 

Right from Wikipedia: 

 

Quote

In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding a message or information in such a way that only authorized parties can access it and those who are not authorized cannot. 

 

[Technique]

So from what you say then, there is little difference between passwording and encrypting.

 

Passwords: "it can only be opened by the person who knows the password".

Encrypting: "encryption makes the file so that only authorized people can view it as it should be".

 

Either way only those with the green light get to see what the file is about.

 

So on that note is it even worth doing the extra level of encrypting?

[+BudMan MVC]

Encryption with a password is only going to be as strong as the password.. Doesn't matter if its AES-256, if your password is p@55word

 

With encryption with a cert, like with gnupg.. You not going to decrypt it without having the cert to decrypt it with... So for example - is private key

 

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=5MjH
-----END PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----

You need that - and then that is even protected by a password.. So even if you got that file, you would also need to know what the password is..

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Passwording is ONE way of encrypting. There are different types of encryption.

 

You wanted to password protect it. AKA, encrypt it.

 

You are asking your own understanding.

[Technique]

44 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

 

You are asking your own understanding.

And i make no secret of the fact it is limited - hence me being here.

 

I'm not the one running around these forums trying to play the big man

[Technique]

Just tried that gnupg.

 

W

T

F

???

 

I've seen mention of Veracrypt and Axcrypt. I'll see if they make more sense to me (i.e. whether they're more user friendly). this gnup thing may be easy for you but you clearly know what you're doing.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Dude, it's not hard. You just have to LEARN how to use it. That goes with ANY program made by human hands.

 

But, as Budman said:

Quote

Encryption with a password is only going to be as strong as the password.. Doesn't matter if its AES-256, if your password is p@55word 

If you always want the easiest way out, you'll never learn.

 

(btw, GNUPG is integrated into Linux, too...)

[+BudMan MVC]

Its right click encrypt... Maybe computers are just not your thing.. Maybe you should just stick to disk you stick in a player

 

No offense dude - but your like trying to talk to my 4 year old grandson when it comes to anything that has anything to do with tech at all.. Your like in the 1950's or something..  You actually use computers??

 

I'm not talking about compiling your own drivers for your wifi card..  Or your linux kernel.. Im talking about following the bouncing ball the software walks you through and then right clicking..  I could prob walk my 90 year old mother in law through this stuff

 

Does your phone flip up, or do you actually have a current phone.. Maybe you still dial it?  Im OLD dude.. in my 50's... So I remember all the OLD ######... I remember the vhs/beta wars.. And rotary phones, etc..   This is pretty basic ######..  Talking to you is like talking to my 90 year old mother in law about tech..

 

Just really at a loss to how someone smart enough to find such a forum from back in 2003 could be so behind when it comes to basic tech..

 

[Technique]

While we're with these 'does' questions...

 

does throwing these jibes make you feel like a big man? Do they give you a sense of achievement?

 

I'll admit my patience is zero. Things need to work first time. I opened the program and tried encrypting a file and it didn't work. When i was on the download page i actually had a feeling of 'here we go' as it looked like one of those geeky sites that Linux nerds would use, the sort of people who try and tell the world Windows is the devil and they should switch to Mac or preferably as it's less mainstream ... Linux (yeah since we're going with the put downs for no reason i'll have my turn, now it's your turn about how i'm so behind technology again, on you go....)

 

If it helps any then it seems to have installed 'Kleopatra' on my machine.

 

Is this Veracrypt any 'easier'?

 

And regardless of which encryption software is used, will it be needed to be installed on the machine that uses it or will they only need the password? For example, i am now dead (so no more annoying questions for you to see, woo-hoo and all that), they jump on Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive / the USB stick at my house or theirs, they have a Windows laptop and a Macbook (sister is a Mac owner, currently), do they just open the file with the password or do they need the program that was used to encrypt it?

Edited December 21, 2018 by Technique

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

What didn't work why encrypting it? As Budman says, It's very very easy...

 

Try putting it on a USB flash drive and hide it somewhere...