When the next window crops up, check the 'Encrypt file only' box to ensure that this is the only protected file. This brings up a window, with the 'Advanced' button near the bottom on the right side, click this and then check the following box entitled 'Encrypt contents to secure data', and confirm this action immediately after by pressing 'OK'. The first step in using EFS on Windows devices (excluding Windows Home) is to right-click on the zip file in question so that you can select 'Properties' from the dropdown list of options. Depending on the laptop and the software you have, there are different methods for adding a password to such files. Zip files are also known as compressed files and are increasingly useful for transferring documents from one laptop to another. Related: Computer skills: definitions and examples How to password-protect zip files If this is the case, take time to research its credentials. It may be viable to tie a password to a third-party app as a means of recovering a forgotten password or the file itself. It doesn't involve using any third-party apps, which is already a step in the right direction when protecting your data. It's one of the first defensive measures to put into place. Password-protected files are an attempt to prevent unwanted eyes from accessing your information by protecting it with a password. In this article, we look at what a password-protected zip file is, what four of the most common ways are to set up a password and the benefits are of using this mode of security. It's important to understand how to password-protect zip files, especially when handling sensitive information.

They're often used within different organisations to keep sensitive information from leaking to the press, the competition or simply internally. A password-protected file is relatively self-explanatory in that it's set up to protect the security of the file from unwanted eyes.

Encrypt zip file windows 10