How to Add a Password to Your Word Document

There may come a time when you create Microsoft Word documents that need to be protected from public view. For instance anything with sensitive information on it such as passwords, usernames, credit card information and of course social security numbers.

When this occurs you can add a little bit of extra protection to your document with Microsoft's built in password capability.

Combine this with other document protection and it will go a long way to securing your information.

Here is how you add a password to your Microsoft Word document

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Word

1. Launch Microsoft Word and load in the document that you wish to add the password to. Just remember by the end of this tutorial that in order to load this document again you will need to type in the password that you set in step 3.

2. 

   From the main menu at the top, click on "Tools" and then click on the submenu item labeled "Options" as shown in the picture associated with this step.

3. 

   When the "Options" window appears, click on the "Security" tab. Under the section that reads "File encryption options for this document" enter your password in the field labeled, "Password to Open". A good password is at least 7 characters long, contains one capital letter, one number and one symbol such as (!@#$%^&*). Once you have your password entered, click the ok button. Everytime you go to open this document from now on, you will need to enter a password.