excel password encryption

[rvd48]

if i set a 20 character password, is it possible to crack it?

i want my excel document to be secure from people modifying it but i know there are cracks available for MS Excel.

 

[chergh]

If you set a 500 character password it would still be possible to crack, plus there are vulnerabilities in excel that instead of brute forcing a password you can simply change the password to something different without ever needing to know the original password.

You might be better of to set up a network folder that only you have write privledges to and everyone else only had read privledges for.

 

[rvd48]

darnit

cant win em all

 

[georgedwilkinson]

If you need more security, you could use PGP to encrypt your files. Gnu PG is free and works quite well.

 

[rvd48]

well, when i distribute the file to people, they can easily use a excel password cracker and get into the locked cells and look at the hidden data, etc

doesnt really seem a way around this.

 

[qafself]

Excel security isn't designed to stop people looking at the data, more to stop accidental changes. Anyone with any significant knowledge can bypass both sheet and VB password protection

If you have sensitive calculations then copy and paste special values into a copy of your sheet

Ed

 

[Cotton]

Good info, thanks