When it comes to shared Microsoft Word documents, it is imperative to not only finalise but also to protect the documents against vulnerabilities or accidental changes. To do so, one has to undertake several actions before their Microsoft Word documents are considered secure. Here is a simple guide as to what one should do. Users should be able to enable basic protection for their documents by the end of this guide:
Document Inspector
Microsoft Word unfortunately has a habit of retaining certain sensitive information whenever users create/edit the document but that can be rectified by using the document inspector. Make sure to back up a copy just in case before attempting to use it.
To open the document inspector, choose the file tab and go into backstage view. You will then be able to find the check for issues option under your info pane and choose to inspect the document. You will be given a list of content that you want to review in the document. Choose the relevant ones, hit inspect and choose remove all for any potentially sensitive data the document inspector informs you of. When you are done, click close and double check to see if it works.
Document protection
Locate the backstage view once more and choose the protect document option from under the info pane. You will be led to a drop down menu with a list of options that best fits your requirements when it comes to protecting your Word document.
Two of the most popular options are to choose between Mark as Final as well as Restrict Access. Marking your document final generally is a good measure to begin dissuading others from further editing your Microsoft Word file. But bear in mind that if one were to still wish to continue, it does not actively prevent them from doing so. To be able to safeguard your Microsoft Word document, you can choose restrict access so that people are fully prevented from making any changes.
Track Changes
If you are sharing the word document with a lot of different collaborators, you can make sure to track changes so that you are aware of what has been changed. To do this, look for the track changes options under your Review tab in Microsoft Word. In order for changes to become permanent, you will have to accept them. Similarly, you can accept or reject the proposed changes by selecting the review tab too.
