Encrypting Using 7-Zip

7-Zip encrypts documents using a strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats.

Encrypting documents and folders using 7-Zip

1. Install 7-Zip (this can be installed by a field technician)

2. Right click on the file or folder you want to encrypt

   1. From the drop down menu select 7-Zip

      1. On the next menu, click on add to “Name of document or folder.7z” or add to “Name of document or folder.zip” 

         1. If you use the file extension .7z you will have to extract the documents before you can view them. 

      2. If you use the .zip file extension, you will be able to open the folder and access the documents without extracting them first.

Decrypting using 7-Zip

Decrypting a .7z file extension

1. Right click on the file or folder you want to decrypt

   1. From the drop down menu select 7-Zip

      1. On the next menu, select Extract Here and it will extract the document to the location that the encrypted file is currently located. 

Decrypting a .zip file extension

1. Right click on the zipped folder you want to decrypt

   1. From the drop down menu select 7-Zip

      1. On the next menu, select Extract Here and it will extract the document to the location that the encrypted folder is currently located

Encrypting Using Microsoft Office 

Microsoft Office can assist you with protecting documents by adding a password to them. 

Password protecting your file

1. In your office product (Word, Excel, Access Database, One Note, ect) click on File.

2. From this screen, click on Protect Document

   1. In the drop down menu, click Encrypt with Password

      1. This brings up a box that will ask you to put in a password. In this box, you will create a strong password (minimum of 14 characters)  to encrypt your file with. 

      2. The next box will have you confirm your password that you just created for the file.
      3. ​​​​​​​Once this is complete, the Info menu where the Protect Document icon is will have a yellow highlight with a statement that says “A password is required to open this document. 

         1. This shows that the file is now encrypted with a password.

Decrypting Using Microsoft Office

1. When you open a document that has been encrypted with a password, you will be prompted with a dialog box that asks you to enter the password to open the file.

   1. Put in the password to open the file and click OK. 

   2. This now decrypts the file and allows it to open.