There have been times when I’ve started a project with a client, assuring them that our discussions and work will remain confidential. However, I’ve often wondered about the security of the documents themselves, especially during transfer. With so many rising cases of breaches of trust, it’s crucial to consider how to keep sensitive information safe.
If you have documents you want to keep secret between you and your client, and you don’t want them falling into the wrong hands, I’m here to share some effective strategies. In this article, I’ll guide you through the best practices for how to share docs safely, ensuring they only reach the intended recipient.
Use WPS Office
First on the list is a free office suite application: WPS Office, which allows you to share your work with others in a safe and controlled manner. For someone who frequently shares work with clients through documents, some prefer online access while others like receiving files to review offline later. I chose WPS Office as my go-to solution. WPS Office provides controls that let you restrict who can edit, view, or share your files, ensuring the security of your content so your work, ideas, or research can be shared with confidence.
As for the controlled manner, while using WPS Office, I had the flexibility to set restricted access when sharing my files and also assign different passwords for who can view or modify the content in the document. Moreover, there are no limitations on you—whether you want to share a document online or offline, WPS Office provides solutions that cater to both your needs in a safe and easy-to-use way.
I know you’ve been looking for a word processor that allows you to share your documents securely, so why miss out on the best deal, especially when it’s free? Let’s go ahead and take a look at the controls in WPS Office that allow you to securely and privately send files.
1. Restrict Editing in the File
Restricting editing is a great feature to control the level of access you wish to have over your documents when shared offline through WPS Office. These controls can vary depending on your needs. For example, if you’re working on a research paper and don’t want your colleagues to make any changes to Heading 3 sections, you can easily set this up through the "Restrict Editing" feature in WPS Office.
Let's walk through how you can access the Restrict Editing tool in WPS Office to safely share your documents:
Step 1: Open the document that you want to share using WPS Office.
Step 2: In WPS Writer, simply go to the "Review" tab and click on the “Restrict Editing” button located in the Review ribbon.
At this point, you’ll see the Restrict Editing pane open on the right side of the WPS Writer interface. Here, you will have two main options to choose from:
Limiting Control: This option allows you to restrict others from making changes to specific styles. For instance, you can prevent others from modifying the Heading 3 style in your document.
Set Protection: This option offers additional ways to safeguard your document from unnecessary edits. You can choose to:
Make the document read-only, preventing any changes.
Enable track changes so you can later accept or reject changes made by others.
Allow others to comment on the document without modifying the actual content.
Let others fill out forms without altering the format or content.
Step 3: Select the option that best fits your document security needs before sharing it.
Note: If you choose a protection option, you'll need to set up a password to enable the protection.
Once you've enabled Restricted Editing mode, you can safely share your document with others, knowing that your content is secure.
2. Encrypt the File
WPS Office also allows you to encrypt your documents before sharing them with others. This restricts unauthorized access, as others will need a password to view your document. With advanced encryption options available, WPS Office ensures your document's security while being shared with others. Here’s how you can easily encrypt your documents using WPS Office:
Step 1: Open the document in WPS Office and click on the "Menu" button in the top left corner of the WPS Writer interface.
Step 2: From the list of options, select "Document Encryption" and then click on "Encryption" from the flyout menu.
Step 3: The encryption window will now open. Here, you can set a password to view the document and a separate password to modify it, giving you more control and flexibility.
Step 4: For more advanced encryption options, scroll right and click on the "Advanced" button.
Step 5: Choose the type of encryption you would like for your document, then click "OK".
Step 6: WPS Office also provides a few privacy options, such as hiding your identity.
Step 7: Once you’ve confirmed your document encryption, simply click "OK".
Your document has now been encrypted with the help of WPS Office. If you’ve set advanced encryption, it makes it difficult for unauthorized entities to decipher the encrypted data, helping to secure sensitive information while sharing documents offline.
3. Share documents online
Just like other online word processors, WPS Office also provides the option to share your documents online, but with additional features such as expiration dates and the ability to disable downloads. These features give you more control over your documents when you share them with others. Here’s how you can share your documents online using WPS Office:
Step 1: Open the document you wish to share, then simply click the "Share" button in the top right corner.
Step 2: WPS Office provides a variety of sharing options, but for now, let's stick with the "Share as Link" option, through which you can share your documents online.
Step 3: In the "Anyone with the link" field, control the access to your documents. If you want to allow others to edit the document, select "Edit" from the drop-down, or change it to "View" to restrict it to viewing only.
Step 4: You can also disable downloads using the toggle to prevent the downloading of your documents.
Step 5: Set a time limit! Setting an expiration date for your link allows you to control how long the document will be shared, which can be useful in certain situations.
What I liked the most about WPS Office is that even if I set an expiration date, I can always choose to stop sharing the link. This option lets me cut off access to my document whenever I want.
And the best part is, once you stop the link, it becomes invalid. When you want to share the document again, a new link is generated. This is really helpful compared to other tools where the link remains the same, meaning that if you later allow access again, you don’t need to create a new document just to get a new link—you can instantly generate a fresh link to share with a new group.
Use Google Docs
Another great option for sharing documents online is Google Docs, a free, web-based tool that lets you work on your documents from anywhere. With built-in cloud storage, seamless collaboration, and real-time co-editing, Google Docs makes it incredibly easy to share your files. Plus, it offers various access control features to ensure you manage who can view or edit your documents.
1. Limit the Access
When sharing your files online, controlling who gets access is often a major concern. Typically, when I share a link to my work, there's a risk of that link being forwarded, leaving me with no control. Google Docs addresses this issue by allowing you to grant access only to specific email addresses or an email list. This way, only the people you've chosen can view your document, ensuring that others can’t access it, even if they have the link.
Here’s how you can share a document with specific individuals using Google Docs:
Step 1: In Google Docs, click on the "Share" button located at the top right corner of the screen.
Step 2: The share dialog box will open. Enter the email address of the person you want to share your document with in the text box.
Step 3: You can now select the level of access you want to provide to this email or email list. Click on the drop-down menu and choose from Viewer, Editor, or Commenter.
Step 4: You can also add a message to give instructions or provide details about the document.
Step 5: Once you’ve set the access, click the "Link" icon to copy and share the link, or click the "Send" button to share the document directly.
2. Prevent Printing, Editing & Copy-Pasting (3 Access Levels)
Sharing with Google Docs allows you to set certain limitations on how others can access your files. Let's take a look at how you can adjust these access levels before sharing your documents:
Step 1: Click on the "Share" button located at the top right corner of the screen to access Google Docs' sharing options.
Step 2: Under the "General Access" section, click on the drop-down menu to choose from two options:
Restricted Access: This gives you full control of the document, and sharing the link with others will not grant them any access.
Anyone with the Link: With this option, you can choose the level of access you'd like to provide to others.
Step 3: If you select "Anyone with the Link", click on the drop-down to choose the access level you want to provide:
Viewer: Others can only view the content of the document.
Editor: This grants full authority to anyone with the link to make changes to the document.
Commenter: This allows others to leave comments on your document, which is helpful when getting feedback on, for example, a research paper.
Step 4: After setting the access level, click on the "Settings" icon to impose further controls.
Step 5: In Google Docs settings, you have two additional options to choose from:
Option 1: This allows others with "Editor" access to manage sharing permissions.
Option 2: This option allows those with "Viewer" or "Commenter" access to download, print, or copy the document.
Step 6: Once you've decided on the access level, simply click "Copy Link" to share the link with others or click "Done" to close the share dialog box.
3. Add an Expiration Date
While sharing files with specific emails, you can also set an expiration date to limit the time frame for which your Google Doc can be accessed. This feature can be very helpful, but currently, Google Docs only provides it for eligible work or school accounts. So, if you have a work or school account, you can set an expiration date by following these steps:
Step 1: In the share dialog box, enter the email address of the person you wish to share your document with.
Step 2: Now simply click on the drop-down menu and select the "Add expiration" option.
Step 3: You will see a date and time displayed below the email field. Change the date and time according to the time frame for which you want to grant access.
Step 4: Now simply click on "Send" to share the document via email or click on "Copy link" to share the file via a link.
Google Docs has been my go-to word processor for sharing files with others. However, while it offers the convenience of accessing my documents anywhere, it has a few limitations, such as a lack of encryption and certain features, like expiration dates, being limited to specific account types.
Use DRM Software to Improve the Security
Google Docs has security concerns because it doesn’t provide a complete solution for sharing documents; they can easily be forwarded to unwanted recipients. A more secure way for you to share your documents is by using DRM software like Locklizard Safeguard. Safeguard is a digital rights management (DRM) solution that utilizes encryption, document controls, and a secure viewer application to prevent all forms of unauthorized sharing. The reason I find Locklizard Safeguard software useful is its advanced security features that allow for more secure document sharing.
1. Use Locklizard Safeguard to protect
Locklizard Safeguard's first method for providing access to others involves storing and uploading a file within the Locklizard Safeguard system. Once your document is stored, it can be shared with others. Here’s how it works:
Your protected PDF file is stored on your disk, and a corresponding record is created in the Admin System.
For each individual who needs access to your protected PDF, you’ll set up a user account.
A link to the Viewer, along with their license file, will be automatically emailed to the user.
After the Viewer is installed and the license file is activated (just by clicking on it), it becomes locked to that specific device and cannot be activated elsewhere unless you grant permission.
You have complete control over which protected documents each user can access through the Admin System.
You can then share your DRM-protected documents using Google Docs.
Step 1: Open your document in Google Docs and click on the File menu at the top left corner.
Step 2: Then, click on the "Download" option and select "PDF Document (.pdf)" to download the Google Doc as a PDF.
Step 3: Locate the downloaded PDF, right-click on it, and choose "Make Secure PDF" from the options.
Step 4: Next, select the DRM controls you want to apply using Safeguard Writer.
Note: If you want extra protection, you can add a dynamic watermark that displays the user’s name—this discourages people from taking photos of the screen with another device.
Step 5: Click “Publish” to save the secured PDF to your computer. This will encrypt the file and automatically create a record in the Admin System.
Step 6: Create a user account for each person you want to view the protected PDF. Simply go to the "Customers" tab in the admin system and click "Add".
Step 7: Grant access to your customer by selecting the document in the admin system and assigning the permissions you want them to have.
Step 8: To share the PDF, upload it to Google Drive and click the share icon.
2. View Locklizard-Protected Documents in the Browser
The Locklizard Safeguard desktop version is secure but a lengthy process, and its purpose is to protect highly sensitive documents. However, if you want to share your documents with less security but better control than Google Docs, Locklizard also offers a web-based solution. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: To activate the Locklizard Safeguard web viewer after securing your document, simply select “Protect to WEB…” from the “Protection status” window.
Step 2: Alternatively, launch the web publisher application, select the documents you wish to upload to the cloud-based web viewer, and then click on “Publish All”.
Step 3: To grant a customer web viewer access, select the more details arrows next to their name in the Customers tab of your admin portal.
Step 4: Then, tick “Enabled” under “Web Viewer” and send them their login information.
Convert to PDF with Restrictions
Another way to safely share documents with others is by converting them into PDFs. PDFs are generally considered more secure than Word documents, with one key feature being their password protection, which helps prevent unauthorized access.
My preferred choice for this task is WPS Office, as it makes converting Word documents to PDFs easy. Additionally, it provides a powerful PDF editor, giving you more control over your files. Let's take a closer look at the PDF capabilities of WPS Office and how it can help you securely share documents with others.
1. Export as PDF
You can export your file in PDF format, which is a fantastic way to share your documents, as it significantly reduces the chances of unauthorized edits. However, security can sometimes still be a concern. WPS Office provides peace of mind by offering comprehensive security features that go beyond simple sharing. Here’s how you can easily export your document as a PDF:
Step 1: First, let's open the Word document using WPS Office.
Step 2: Now, click on the "Menu" button, which you'll find in the top left corner of the WPS Writer interface, and select the "Export to PDF" option from the menu.
Step 3: The "Export to PDF" dialog box will open, where you can adjust settings such as the file path and page range before moving forward.
Step 4: After configuring the necessary settings, click "Export" to finish the conversion process.
Once the document has been converted into a PDF, you can share it with enhanced security. However, if you want to further improve your document's security, I recommend using WPS PDF, which allows you to encrypt your PDF and set up a password to restrict access, providing even better protection for your document.
2. Apply for Password Protection
You can use the password protect feature within WPS PDF, to essentially put a lock on your PDF, ensuring only authorized individuals can access it. This powerful tool allows you to set different levels of security. You can create one password for viewing the document and a separate one for editing.
Step 1: Open the PDF document that you just converted using WPS PDF.
Step 2: In WPS PDF, go to the "Protect" tab, then select "Encrypt" from the Protect ribbon.
Step 3: In the Encrypt window, you'll find two options to set up a password:
Set the open password: This protects your PDF document from unauthorized access. Whoever you share the PDF with will need the password to view its contents.
Set a password for editing and extracting: This restricts access to features like printing or copying. By setting a password, you can prevent your content from being distributed further.
Step 4: Once you've set your password, click the "Confirm" button to apply the encryption.
Note: Make sure to keep the password in a safe place and make copies of it, because once you've set the password, it cannot be recovered as WPS Office doesn't store passwords for better security.
Step 5: Now, simply close and try opening the PDF again, and you'll see that a password is required to access the document.
Through this method, you can also limit specific features, like preventing anyone from printing or copying the content. This gives you full control over how your document is shared and used, providing ultimate peace of mind.
3. Use Watermarks
Adding a watermark to your PDF for security in WPS Office takes document protection to a whole new level. While password protection ensures that no one can copy or print your PDF, adding a watermark adds another layer of defense. Watermarks serve as a visible deterrent, discouraging anyone from taking screenshots or photos of your content.
Step 1: Open your PDF in WPS PDF and head over to the "Edit" tab.
Step 2: Now, simply click on the "Watermark" button in the Edit ribbon to view watermark options available.
Step 3: Choose from preset watermark options available for directly adding a watermark to your PDF.
Step 4: WPS PDF also provides the option to add a custom watermark. Simply click on "Add" to create a custom watermark for your PDF.
Step 5: In the Insert Watermark window, create your custom watermark by setting its font styles, color, opacity, and other settings.
Step 6: Once you have created your watermark, click "OK" to effectively insert the watermark into your PDF.
With a watermark you can claim the ownership and maintain control over your document, even in cases where someone might attempt to bypass other security measures. This extra step ensures that your content remains secure and unmistakably yours.
FAQs
1. Are Google Docs private?
Google Docs can remain private from other users as long as you do not share them and use strong account security. However, since they lack end-to-end encryption, Google retains the ability to access your documents and may disclose them to law enforcement if required. Additionally, Google gathers data for service improvement and analysis, which may affect your privacy.
2. Can I use VPNs to protect my data?
Yes, using VPNs is an effective way to protect your data. With the rise of remote work, it's vital to secure sensitive information from insecure public networks. By requiring employees to access organizational files through a VPN, you can safeguard data from potential threats. This approach provides an extra layer of encryption, enhancing privacy and ensuring a secure work environment.
3. How do I convert Docs to PDFs?
You can easily convert your docs to PDF documents using WPS Office's Export to PDF feature. Simply follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Word document using WPS Office.
Step 2: Click on the "Menu" button in the top left corner of the WPS Writer interface, then select the "Export to PDF" option from the menu.
Step 3: The "Export to PDF" dialog box will open, allowing you to adjust settings such as the file path and page range.
Step 4: After configuring the necessary settings, click "Export" to complete the conversion process.
Unmatched Document Security with WPS Office
When it comes to learning how to share docs safely, it quickly becomes a matter of critical importance. Even with various methods at your disposal, it can often feel like you’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible to truly safeguard your files. That’s where WPS Office steps in, offering a completely uncompromised security plan.
With built-in features like document encryption, password protection, and both offline and online safety options—all for free—WPS Office goes above and beyond. No other office suite offers this level of comprehensive security without added costs, giving you every reason to choose WPS Office for your document safety needs.
