5 ways to share Excel files securely

Spreadsheets are irreplaceable. That’s why they’re one of the most shared assets in an organization. Tracking data, automating reports, accounting, data organization – all of this and more lies on the shoulders of a humble database. Here’s how to share your Excel files in five easy ways.

Is Excel safe to use?

While billions of people use Google Sheets because it’s free and comes with Google Drive, there’s only one choice for businesses. That’s Microsoft Excel. Despite its cumbersome sharing functionality, Excel is a powerful spreadsheet software that has been solving business problems for decades. With so much data to hold, spreadsheets often become both a target and a weapon for hackers – especially those in Excel, because its macros (small, repeatable actions) can be used to execute malware upon opening the file. That’s why when you’re sharing an Excel file, think about data security first.

5 quick ways to share Excel files with others

1. Sign in to your OneDrive account. Then click on “Share” and “Invite People.”
2. Save the Excel file onto your computer and attach it to an email. You can also use an archiving program like 7-Zip to quickly password protect your file.
3. Get a cheap USB drive, move the file onto it, and give it to the person you want to share the Excel file with.
4. Upload the Excel file onto your Google Drive and invite people to edit it. This way you can collaborate on the same file without losing track of different file versions.
5. Use end-to-end encrypted file-sharing platforms like Wormhole. Drop your Excel file in and enter the recipient's email.

How you can share Excel files securely with NordLocker

As an end-to-end-encrypted cloud, NordLocker can handle sharing of any number of Excel files (or any file, for that matter) easily. But it has other benefits. For example, NordLocker helps you organize your files, ensure data ownership and access control, and back up everything securely.At the moment, sharing is only available to our business users. If your organization is not a NordLocker client, don’t worry. We’ll soon release two ways to share Excel files securely.

How you can share an Excel workspace

If you have a Microsoft account and would like to share your Excel workspace with someone, here are the steps you should follow:

1. Sign in to your OneDrive account. Then click on “Share” and “Invite People.”
2. Save the Excel file onto your computer and attach it to an email. You can also use an archiving program like 7-Zip to quickly password protect your file.
3. Get a cheap USB drive, move the file onto it, and give it to the person you want to share the Excel file with.
4. Upload the Excel file onto your Google Drive and invite people to edit it. This way you can collaborate on the same file without losing track of different file versions.
5. Use end-to-end encrypted file-sharing platforms like Wormhole. Drop your Excel file in and enter the recipient's email.

Alternatively, you can copy the link to the spreadsheet and paste it in any messaging app. Don’t forget that you can manage other people’s access permissions by clicking on the angle bracket next to “Anyone with the link can edit.”

How you can share Excel files online

Microsoft can sometimes be adamant that you always use OneDrive storage. For example, if you try to share an Excel Workbook stored on your device, Microsoft will first ask you to log in to OneDrive first.Since Excel files are often very small, the easiest way to send them is to attach them to emails. Keep in mind that this way you won’t have control over what the person can copy or delete.

Why does Excel file privacy matter?

Remember when people used to drop files directly into Skype chat? Then, they didn’t have to be afraid of ransomware or third-party data collection. But cloud technologies changed everything. On one hand, it made file sharing quicker because instead of creating a copy of your file, you’d collaborate on the same file.On the other hand, new technologies have interconnected people and their devices. They made it possible to rob a casino by hacking into a fish tank inside it. And the attackers that did it, probably found out the model of the fish tank from a stolen Excel file. It’s incredible how even trivial data can benefit hackers in their attacks. That’s why when we share Excel files, we should think about privacy first.