One LibreOffice feature I’ve been using for some time makes it easy to password-protect a document so that only those with the set password can open it. This is a must-have feature for anyone who creates documents that contain sensitive information. Whether it’s a business plan, client information, or your diary, you can protect the contents of that document without having to use a third-party application to encrypt your file. Also: Try these alternatives to common apps that you can use on Linux Let me show you how this is done.
Requirements
The only thing you’ll need for this is LibreOffice installed on your desktop or laptop. The password protection feature is built into LibreOffice, so there’s nothing extra to install and it doesn’t matter what operating system you use. I’ll demonstrate this with LibreOffice 7.4.3.2. Although the feature has been around for some time, I would highly recommend you update LibreOffice to the latest version so all vulnerabilities are patched and you have access to any new features that have been added. Once you have LibreOffice installed or upgraded, you’re ready to test-drive the password protection feature. Let’s see how it works.
How to password-protect a document with LibreOffice
The next time you go to open the file, you’ll be prompted to type the password. Unless you type the correct password, the file will not open. (So don’t forget the password.) You can also password-protect a file on a shared drive and anyone who attempts to open it will also have to type the password. With that in mind, open LibreOffice and create a new text document. Also: You’re definitely not making the most of your password manager One thing to keep in mind, however, is that if you save the file to a different directory or under a different name, you’ll need to go through the steps to password-protect it again. And that’s all there is to protecting a LibreOffice document with a password.
