Password-Protecting a Spreadsheet
When you want to restrict access to a Numbers document, you can assign it a
password. Passwords can consist of almost any combination of numerals and capital
or lowercase letters and several of the special keyboard characters. Passwords with
combinations of letters, numbers, and other characters are generally considered
more secure.
When you save a spreadsheet in iWork ’08 or Excel format, you can’t use password
protection, but when you export a spreadsheet as a PDF you can assign a password
to it.
Here are ways to manage password-protection in a Numbers spreadsheet:
To use a password-protected spreadsheet, open the spreadsheet, type the password
m
when prompted, optionally select “Remember this password in my keychain,” and then
click OK.
If you incorrectly type the password twice, any hint defined when the password was
created is displayed.
To add a password to the spreadsheet, open the Document inspector and select
m
“Require password to open” in the Document pane. Type the password you want to
use in the fields provided, and then click Set Password. A lock icon appears next to the
document title to indicate that your document is password protected.
If you want help to create an unusual or strong password, click the button with the
key-shaped icon next to the Password field to open the Password Assistant and use it
to help you create a password. You can select a type of password in the pop-up menu,
depending on which password characteristics are most important to you.
A password appears in the Suggestion field; its strength (“stronger” passwords are
more difficult to break) is indicated by the length and green color of the Quality bar. If
you like the suggested password, copy it and paste it into the Password field.
If you don’t like the suggested password, you can choose a different password from
the Suggestion field pop-up menu, increase the password length by dragging the
slider, or type your own.
To remove a password from a spreadsheet, open your password-protected document,
m
and then deselect “Require password to open” in the Document inspector’s Document
pane. Type the document password to disable password protection and click OK.
To change a password, open the Document inspector, click Change Password, enter
m
your information, and then click Change Password.
To add a password for a PDF of your spreadsheet, follow the instructions in “
m
Exporting
a Spreadsheet in PDF Format” on page 237.