The Microsoft Excel security environment can be cumbersome even for experienced users. In addition, there are numerous methods an attacker can use to bypass any security aspect of the Microsoft Excel application. Indeed, the general consensus is that Microsoft Excel’s security environment is weak.
The following protection measures can be used in a Microsoft ® Excel spreadsheet:
o Password to open the book
o Password to protect the content of the sheet
o Password to protect the book structure
o Password to protect VBA code
The default encryption standard in the Microsoft ® Excel application is weak and commercial password crackers can be used to obtain the “open password” and access the contents of the file. In addition, there are other utilities freely available on the Internet that can be used to crack the passwords of the sheet and workbook in a matter of seconds.
In addition, there are no guarantees to ensure that users do not transfer or make copies of spreadsheets to unauthorized computers or restrict their use time. Microsoft has taken steps to increase the security of the open workbook and VBA password in Microsoft Excel 2007, but these steps alone will not solve the problem of increased data security.
Fortunately, there is third-party software that plugs these security holes and can greatly improve the security of your Microsoft Excel files at a reasonable price. One of these programs is XLSafe PRO. With XLSafe PRO you can:
o Protect your spreadsheets against password recovery software
o Restrict distribution of your spreadsheets using hardware and online activation methods
o Protect spreadsheet structure and cell content automatically based on their cell type and color
o Hide formulas and protect against intrusion tools that are used to break the default security of Microsoft Excel
o Add time expiration capabilities to your spreadsheets and much more…
