4 ways to encrypt or password-protect a PDF for free without Acrobat
How-To - 3 min read

Eva Simpson
Jul 26, 2022
Jump to section
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.
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.
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.
If you have a Microsoft account and would like to share your Excel workspace with someone, here are the steps you should follow:
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.”
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.
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.
Elisa Armstrong
Verified author
Elisa’s all about languages. She speaks five, loves stand-up comedy, and is writing her first novel. Besides her extensive knowledge of cybersecurity, she’s an expert in persuasion techniques hackers use and strives to teach people how to avoid online scams.
Secure cloud for your data
End-to-end encryption
Zero-knowledge architecture
Secure file sharing
3 GB for free
Popular articles