File encryption
 

I am using Office 2003 on Windows XP.

If you go to [Tools] then [Options] tab then [Security] tab then
click [Advanced], you have the option of using an encryption method which
would seem to offer greater security than a simple password.

It says that if used, a user would then need a "public key" to decrypt the
file.

However, I applied an encryption method on a test file, but I still only
need the file password to open the file. Does encryption actually encrypt the
file - or the file password?

Does anyone know how this is supposed to work? How do you encrypt a file and
then obtain a key? Can this not be done at the user level?

Thanks for your assistance.

File encryption
 

Go to your Help and Support tab in the Start Menu, then type in the "Search"
box:
"Generating encryption keys and certificate requests". Then you will be as
confused as I am.

"quartz" wrote:

I am using Office 2003 on Windows XP.

If you go to [Tools] then [Options] tab then [Security] tab then
click [Advanced], you have the option of using an encryption method which
would seem to offer greater security than a simple password.

It says that if used, a user would then need a "public key" to decrypt the
file.

However, I applied an encryption method on a test file, but I still only
need the file password to open the file. Does encryption actually encrypt the
file - or the file password?

Does anyone know how this is supposed to work? How do you encrypt a file and
then obtain a key? Can this not be done at the user level?

Thanks for your assistance.

File encryption
 

Okay....thanks. Yeah.

So, I guess the deal is, this functionality is useless, unless you and/or
your organization are willing to fork over $500+ for a digital certificate to
some third party CA.

I think there is some freeware out there that enables you to encrypt a file
using a variety of encryption methods (Blowfish, TwoFish, RC4, and AES seem
to be some of the buzzwords), but I don't know which ones are good/bad,
strong/weak.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

"JLGWhiz" wrote:

Go to your Help and Support tab in the Start Menu, then type in the "Search"
box:
"Generating encryption keys and certificate requests". Then you will be as
confused as I am.

"quartz" wrote:

I am using Office 2003 on Windows XP.

If you go to [Tools] then [Options] tab then [Security] tab then
click [Advanced], you have the option of using an encryption method which
would seem to offer greater security than a simple password.

It says that if used, a user would then need a "public key" to decrypt the
file.

However, I applied an encryption method on a test file, but I still only
need the file password to open the file. Does encryption actually encrypt the
file - or the file password?

Does anyone know how this is supposed to work? How do you encrypt a file and
then obtain a key? Can this not be done at the user level?

Thanks for your assistance.