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Training Index
Sarbanes Oxley Home Page
Spreadsheet Access Controls (only using Excel's built in tools)
General Rule on spreadsheet access controls
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Access to Sarbanes Oxley spreadsheets should be controlled to ensure
that only authorized staff can gain access and make changes to the
spreadsheet.
Ideally the spreadsheet should be stored in a folder that only
allows authorized staff to access it (contact your IT department to
find out which ones to use).
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If the spreadsheet is NOT stored in an access restricted folder
(e.g. on your hard drive, unrestricted folder or on a memory stick),
then it MUST be password protected (see below on how to assign
passwords to spreadsheets). You may also need to have separate
passwords for users who can access the spreadsheet versus users who
can make changes to the spreadsheet.
Individual cells within the spreadsheet can also be protected (see
below on how to activate it in Excel). This is particularly important
in spreadsheets that are used by a number of people. Cells that
contain formula should be protected from accidental changes or
deletion.
Even protection without a password can be sufficient to prevent
casual errors. Protection with a password is much more secured, but
there is no remedy if the password is lost.
How to control access to spreadsheets
Either view the video clips or read the text based information below:
Video Clip: 
Protect a spreadsheet
from change or viewing
(NEW)
Video Clip:
Protect individual cells from change or
deletion.
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Protecting a spreadsheet file
In order to protect a workbook file you need to perform the
following |
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Open the relevant spreadsheet and
click on FILE and then SAVE AS
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The normal SAVE dialogue box will
appear.
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You then need to click on TOOLS to
get the following
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Click on General options and this
dialogue box will appear.
You can now enter the password that will be required to open the
spreadsheet, and
where necessary, a different password that will allow modification.
This is particularly useful for spreadsheets that are used by many
users who change the input but should not change the structure.
Please remember the password used, otherwise you could lose your
work. |
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Protecting individual cells within a spreadsheet
In order to protect individual cells within a spreadsheet you need
to understand how Excel applies this protection.
Excel assumes that unless told otherwise, all cells in a
spreadsheet should be protected. You need to identify the cells that
do not need protection (e.g. input cells). In order to do this you do
the following: |
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Identify the cells that don’t need
protection (either highlight them all or you can do it individually).
Click on the format menu and then on the cells items.
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The following will appear.
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If you click on the last tab
(Protection) you will see this. By default all cells in a spreadsheet
are locked (the Locked checkbox is ticked). You need to ‘untick’ it.
This means that all the cells highlighted will no longer be locked
when protection is enabled.
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However, you are not finished here.
You now need to switch the protection on. You do this by clicking on
TOOLS and then PROTECTION and then PROTECT SHEET.
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The following will appear. You can
choose to add a password (or not) and to decide what level of
protection you want activated. When you push OK, the sheet will be
protected and only cells that are not locked will be changeable.
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If you want to make changes to your
spreadsheet you can unprotect the sheet by clicking TOOLS, then
PROTECTION then UNPROTECT SHEET. If you had added a password you will
need to use it to remove the protection.
Note that you need to do this for each sheet that requires cell
protection.
You will have noticed that there is also an option under the
PROTECTION menu to protect workbook. This allows you to protect the
structure and windows of a workbook, i.e. you can stop people from
viewing hidden worksheets or moving your worksheets around. |
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Links to our other
Sarbanes Oxley Spreadsheet Controls:
Documentation Control
Access Controls
Input Control
Testing
Version Control
Audit Trails (coming soon)
Change Control
Backup and Archiving
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Quote of the page:
Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won't have time to
make them all yourself. - Anon
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Free Microsoft Excel Training?
Visit our
training pages. |
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