Editorial Policy

What we publish

We publish technical explanations of Microsoft Office encryption formats, password recovery methods, and file protection mechanisms. Our content covers:

• • Office encryption modes: RC4 (40-bit), AES-128, AES-256 across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, OneNote, Outlook PST, Publisher, MS Project
• • Hashcat mode references (9400, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800) with accurate KDF and cipher descriptions
• • Practical guidance on when recovery is feasible vs. when it's cryptographically infeasible
• • Comparisons of recovery tools and services with honest assessments of what each can and can't do

How we fact-check

Every article that references a Hashcat mode number, cipher specification, or Office format detail is checked against:

• • Microsoft Open Specifications: [MS-OFFCRYPTO] (Office Document Cryptography Structure), [MS-OVBA] (Office VBA), ECMA-376 (Office Open XML)
• • NIST FIPS standards: FIPS 180-4 (SHA), FIPS 197 (AES)
• • Hashcat documentation and source code for mode number accuracy
• • Practical verification: we test recovery claims against real encrypted files before publishing

We don't publish based on vendor marketing claims. If a recovery tool vendor says "recovers any Excel password in minutes," we test that claim before repeating it. (Usually, the claim is false — it only removes sheet protection, which is a different thing entirely.)

Corrections

Office encryption details are complex and occasionally confusing even in the official Microsoft documentation. If you find an error — a wrong Hashcat mode number, a mischaracterized cipher, an outdated claim — email us via the contact page. We verify the correction against the source specifications and update the content. Corrections are noted with the last-modified date on the page.

What we don't publish

• • AI-generated content without human review. Every article is reviewed by someone who understands Office encryption before publication.
• • "Recovery success rate" numbers that aren't tied to a specific encryption mode. "90% success rate" is meaningless without specifying whether it's Office 97-2003 (near 100%) or Office 2013+ AES-256 (varies wildly).
• • Paid placement or sponsored content that isn't clearly labeled. If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be prominently marked.
• • Claims that free tools can do things they can't. We're explicit about what free sheet protection removal tools actually do vs. what real encrypted-password recovery requires.

Content freshness

Each article displays its publication date and last-modified date. We review and update content when:

• • Microsoft releases a new Office version with different encryption defaults
• • Hashcat adds new Office-related modes or changes existing mode behavior
• • New publicly documented attacks on Office encryption are published
• • A reader reports an error (we verify and update within 48 hours)