Upd - 7z Password Protect

If you password protect a Word document inside a zip file, the zip protects the file. However, if you use the "Protect Document" feature inside Word itself, that protection is often easier to break. Using 7-Zip with AES-256 is generally much safer than using the internal protection of Office documents.

Here is a comprehensive guide on how to use features to secure your files and folders. 1. How to Password-Protect Files (Step-by-Step) 7z password protect