Overding excel security settings

[Jadendo]

I have a workbook that will be used for public consumption and must not be allowed to be edited. Permission to view this workbook must end at a specific date.

In the professional version of excel, we can choose to "do not distribute" and to set an expiration date for the workbook. This seems to work well, but since I am fairly new to the use of these settings, I would like to know if anybody is aware of ways in which these settings could be hacked.

The nature of the material is highly sensitive, and it would be very helpful to know if I need to consider some other type of encryption. Thanks a lot.

 

[Norie]

What 'professisonal' version of Excel are you referring to?

As to if the workbook can be hacked, the answer is Yes.

And it's not too hard either, Excel just isn't a secure environment.

 

[Jadendo]

Yes - as opposed to the standard edition. Is there another way to protect it and set an expiration date that you can recommend? Thanks

 

[Norie]

As far as I'm aware there is no such thing as a 'professional' version of Excel.

There are of course the different versions of MS Office but I think the only difference is that some have Access and other applications and some don't.

As to protection, I'll say again Excel just isn't a secure environment.

You can implement certain security features but a determined user can easily circumvent them.

 

[Jadendo]

sorry - probably wasn't clear - yes it's the professional version of Office, which has the above mentioned security features which the standard version of Office doesn't.

Do you compiling the workbook would be a solution?

 

[Smitty]

Norie,

I believe that Jadendo is referring to Information Rights Management.

I haven't tried it, but if it lives up to its billing then go with it, because Excel is not a secure environment and unless you compile it you can't make it one...

You can implement certain security features but a determined user can easily circumvent them.

HTH,

Smitty

 

[Jadendo]

Yes. Thanks. This is what I have been using. I'll stick with this then. Thanks again.

 

[Norie]

Smitty

Never knew that existed.