Patent ID: 8542823

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for partially encrypting an electronic file, comprising: determining, by a plug-in to a word processing system executing on a computing system, a named text style, the named text style including font size settings or font style settings, indicating a selection of one or more portions of the electronic file to be encrypted, wherein the named text style defines consistently formatted text; identifying, by a plug-in to a word processing system executing on the computing system, the one or more portions of the electronic file including the named text style that identifies the selected one or more portions of the electronic file to be encrypted; encrypting the identified one or more portions of the electronic file to thereby form encrypted one or more portions of the electronic file; and storing the electronic file with the encrypted one or more portions of the electronic file, altering the named text style to cause encrypted text having the named text style to appear as at least one block of color with a matching text color and background color, such that unencrypted portions of the electronic file are readable without the plug-in to the word processing system.