How to Improve the Protection of Your Workbooks

When you compile a workbook into a protected application, the original workbook file (XLSX, XLSM, etc.) is encrypted and embedded within the resulting .EXE file. This prevents users from directly accessing the original file.

To function, XLS Padlock must load your workbook into Excel’s memory. Without activating XLS Padlock’s additional security layers, a sophisticated attacker could potentially extract the original workbook from memory while the application is running. While this is not a trivial task, it highlights the need for stronger protection.

We recommend enabling the following features for the strongest protection:

• Protect Your Formulas with Formula Protection
• Secure Your VBA with the VBA Compiler
• Prevent Common VBA and OLE Hacks
• Forbid Access to the VBA Editor (VBE)
• Password-Protect Your Workbook
• Disable Unnecessary Excel Add-ins