Tips for Maintaining the Integrity of Important Files in a Modern Workplace

One day at the office I was taken quite aback when I attempted to open an Excel spreadsheet I'd created and was prompted with the message: File in Use. Open as a read-only file? File in use? What was that all about? It was, after all, my file. Who else would be using it?

The answer to that last question was, of course, anyone. Anyone at all could be using it. I worked in a company with 200 employees and most of our documents were saved on drives with shared access. My file, essentially, was available to anyone in the entire company, from upper management to the receptionist, on a whim.

With large network systems and often multiple branches, many companies these days have shared drives where employees in different regions can access the same files. Often, those companies limit the size of the hard drives on individual computers to minimize the saving of files onto the computer itself, forcing employees to store their important files where all can see.

Some files, by nature, need to be shared. Often spreadsheets and other documents are passed from person to person and department to department via shared drives such as my company used, or via email. Still, other files are meant to be private records, not available to all eyes. Either way, you'll want to ensure the integrity of your important documents.

There are a number of ways to protect important files. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

-- For files that are intended for your eyes only, add a password. Most commercial software such as Excel and Word offer the option to password protect your document. Consult your software manual or the help file for further information. Be sure to choose a secure password and don't share it. Bad choices for passwords include your birthday, spouse's name or child's name. Good choices include both letters and numbers. Don't hesitate to change passwords often.

-- For files that others need to see, some commercial software will allow you to add a password for those making changes. Others will be able to open the document as a read-only file. They can look, but they can't touch!

-- For files that others need to see and perhaps even touch, make a backup and password protect that one. Better yet, put it on disk and keep it in a safe place. Just remember to update both copies when you make changes to the document.

-- Check with your company to see if there are secure drives. Some companies, such as the one I worked for, have drives that have private access. Documents are stored on a shared server but viewing is restricted to the same login as the person who created the document.

-- Don't hesitate to ask your company's IT department about other options. That's what they're there for.

Though it is normally a practice for all records in a company to be backed up on a regular basis, it's also sometimes a rather large production for IT to retrieve one small document off of those backups. So be responsible for the integrity of your own files. It may save you a whole lot of grief one day.