Permission Encrypted allows downloading encrypted files that are watermarked and password-protected. It means that users must authorize using their Ideals credentials to open the downloaded encrypted files. An internet connection is a must.
Enabling encrypted downloads ensures secure access to sensitive files, maintaining confidentiality and minimizing risks associated with unauthorized file distribution. Additionally, each viewing of encrypted files is logged in the activity log.
Access to a downloaded encrypted file may be revoked at any time. Users will lose access if they are deactivated or deleted or if their permissions are changed to No access or Fence.
In this case, when a user tries to open a previously downloaded encrypted file, they will get a message about insufficient permissions.
⚠️ As soon as the project is closed, access to all downloaded encrypted files will be lost.
MS Office files
MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint documents are downloaded with IRM-encryption.
The user can work with these documents in their native format, but users are unable to do the following actions:
Save any changes. Users can save changes locally for Excel files, but they won't be applied to the original file in the data room.
Make copies of the contents.
Insert pictures or objects (Word and PowerPoint files.)
Print (Word files.)
Create pivot tables (Excel files.)
Take screenshots. Any attempt to take a screenshot or screen recording will result in a black screen or will only show the background behind the file.
Share screen. IRM automatically blacks out the document content if it detects software or environments that could enable screen sharing or recording, such as:
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
Remote Desktop software
Screen-sharing applications
💡 This is with the exception of MS Excel, where saving is allowed because of work with complex formulas. However, these saved changes will not be applied to the original file.
Specific restrictions for encrypted Excel files
Encrypted Excel files include specific permissions that control available actions. The level of access depends on whether the file has “Formulas on” or “Formulas off” permissions enabled.
Regardless of the formula permissions, in an encrypted Excel file it is possible to:
Use filters that were created by the document author.
See hidden columns.
If a user uses macros, an error will appear if the macro attempts to perform an action is not allowed by the user’s permissions.
Formulas on
When this permission is enabled, a user can perform the following actions:
See and apply formulas (including their own.)
Use existing macros in the file (if any.)
Edit the document locally.
💡 Copying and taking screenshots remain disabled.
Formulas off
When this permission is enabled, the user’s capabilities are much more limited. The users can not perform the following actions:
See any formulas.
Use data analysis features
Edit the document in any way.
No additional plugins are required to work with IRM-encrypted documents, just MS Office should be installed.
ℹ️ Learn more about possible errors when opening IRM-encrypted files if you face any difficulties.
Other file types
The documents of other supported file types are downloaded as encrypted PDF.
Their PDF versions are produced by Ideals converters and are protected from editing.
To work with encrypted PDF, it is required to install FileOpen Plugin and open it via Adobe Reader.
💡 Only the user who downloaded the encrypted file can open it with their credentials. Any other user will not be able to open it with their login details.