If you have sensitive data you'd like to keep from prying eyes in a Microsoft Excel file, the easiest way to protect it is with Excel's built-in password tools.

There are several options available to you to protect your Excel file with a password. Remember that once you protect the Excel file, you cannot open it without entering the password.

At the file level, you can password protect an Excel workbook in two ways: You can determine who can get in and who can save changes.

A recommended approach to secure your most private documents — whether it’s a PDF, Word file, or Excel spreadsheet — is to lock them with a passcode. While this does help keep sensitive ...