This document provides instructions for encrypting Microsoft Word and Open Office documents on Mac, PC, and Open Office platforms. It outlines the basic steps, which involve opening a document, navigating to the security or file save options, entering a password, and saving the encrypted file which then requires the password to open. The encryption process helps secure documents from unauthorized access.

1. ENCRYPTING WORD
DOCUMENTS
This is one in a series of tutorials on digital and
mobile security for journalists and bloggers. We
will show you how to encrypt Microsoft Word 2010
documents and Open Office text documents.
Jorge Luis Sierra
Knight International Journalism Fellow
2013

2. ENCRYPTING WORD
DOCUMENTS IN MAC
Follow these steps to encrypt your Microsoft Office 2010
Word document in Mac computers.

3. Step 1. Open the document.
• Go to File and open the Word document you want to
encrypt.

4. Step 2. Click on Preferences…

5. Step 3. Click on Security

6. Step 4. Write your password

7. Step 5. Save the encryption

8. ENCRYPTING WORD
DOCUMENTS IN PC
Follow these steps to encrypt Microsoft Office 2010
Word documents in a PC computer.

9. Step 1: Open your document
• After opening the document, click File and then click Info.

10. Step 2. Protect your document
• In the Info options, click Protect document. After that you
can click on Encrypt with password.
1
2
3

11. Step 3: Enter your password
• After a window opens, write your password and click OK.

12. Step 4: Confirm your password
• In the next window, confirm your password and click OK.

13. ENCRYPTING OPEN OFFICE
TEXT DOCUMENTS
Follow these steps to encrypt an Open Office text
document.

14. Step 1: Create a document.

15. Step 2: Save your document.
• In the File option, click Save as…
1
2

16. Step 3: Save with password
• In a new window, click Save with Password, then Save.
1
2

17. Step 4: Write your password
• Write and confirm your password. Click OK.

18. Step 5: Encrypted document.
• Close and open your document. You will need to enter
your password to read it.

19. Encrypted documents
• Are you ready to encrypt text documents?
• This tutorial is part of the Digital and Mobile Security
Program for Journalists and Bloggers supported by the
International Center for Journalists and Freedom House.
• Author: Jorge Luis Sierra, Knight International Journalism
Fellow. 2013.
• Follow him on Twitter: @latinointx