Hi Dorico Team…
Would you guys consider creating a feature to protect Dorico files with a password…like in PDFs? My Google Drive was breached by someone and most likely stole some of my files, including Dorico Files. Password protecting my Dorico Files when sending it off my PC would save my work by not opening on an unapproved system. Thanks guys! 
Why? Use Zip and password protect it. Dorico is already zip format internally, but you can still zip it. Again, this is unnecessary creeping featurism that is not central to Dorico’s remit.
You’ll need 7-Zip or winRAR to do it.
This is generally the recommended approach as found on google searches.
How did this happen? Did someone obtain your password somehow? Or have physical access to your computer?
It’s worth pointing out that there are software tools to remove password protection from encrypted zip files, Adobe PDF files, MS Office files, etc; so any “bad actors” who desperately wanted your music could probably overcome any third-party implementation that Dorico added.
On the plus side, people who do this are probably looking for information that is more financially rewarding than most music.
Ha.
Jesper
For me, I wouldn’t want this but I can understand that someone else might — especially someone doing work for others who want the security for copyright or publishing reasons. So yes, maybe this should be considered.
There are always bad actors who can and will break password protection. What I can’t understand (and this is because I don’t produce anything for hire) is keeping anything on a cloud based server! Too much risk for breeches and loss of data and/or access for my taste. Better for me to have a portable drive or NAS setup. (My needs are simpler than most, maybe!) If I ever needed to use online storage (for sharing or portability), I’d make sure I had offline backup.
— Jim
If implemented, I could easily see about 1 out of every 5 threads here becoming “Help! I password protected my file and now I can’t open it!” I doubt Steinberg support has any interest in that when there are OS and third-party solutions already available.
I suppose Hollywood and Broadway files would have some financial value, but I can’t imagine much value in anyone’s personal Dorico files other than ransom value. I have everything automatically backed up in multiple locations so if anything ever got stolen, I have several ways to restore the files without paying a ransom.
That’s funny stuff … but true.
Of course, I never thought about a zip option. It never even occurred to me! 
I love the idea that my work has ransom value. Makes me want to try harder.
I’ve got my 1 usable jazz lick locked away in a vault at the Bank of England, nobody is going to steal that
Jesper
Pay up, or we’ll show the world your harmony and counterpoint errors…! 
Good morning, Mr Phelps…. (Or Ethan Hunt, for the younger crowd)!
nobody is going to steal that
Sounds like a challenge! 
— Jim
Not so fast. 7-Zip and so on use AES-256 encryption. With a fast computer you need longer than the age of this universe to brute force that. However, there are some subtleties, discussed here:
Someone would have to be pretty serious about getting your Dorico work to engage in these attacks. Seems doubtful.
Alternatively you could spend trillions to advance quantum computing to break AES-256. That would work.
And further to a previous post of mine, I now note that Winzip Pro supports encryption (but the Windows builtin does not).
Well, all security is about risk reduction, rather than elimination.
But there are much more useful and significant steps that you should be taking before you get to the stage where the attacker already has access to your files, encrypted or otherwise.
Anything you put on the internet now will be vacuumed up by AI and you cant stop it.
Here, anything important is backed up to blu-ray…I also have a password book 
Here’s pretty definitive information on archival longevity of recordable blu-ray, and other formats:
May not be as permanent as expected, and depends on the quality of the disc and recording hardware. Observe only 5-10 years for some types of blu-ray.
I have CD’s I’ve burned from 20 years ago that still open just fine. If you treat your things like a 4 year old nothing will last
I’ve never used a disc as a coaster, placed them in the sun, used them as a frisbee, etc. A combination of idiots at online storage services and hacking groups will do more damage to your files than a well kept disc library. I put a bluray burner in my desktop when I built it and have a portable bluray burner for my laptop. I prefer hard copies of my files here rather than floating online…my discs will be here for as long as I am, can’t say the same for online backup!