To encrypt an archive in 7-zip, once you’re at the Add to Archive dialog box, enter a password and select the Encryption method AES-256.

Do you want to add files to an existing ZIP file in Windows 11/10 without extracting and re-zipping everything? Follow this easy guide.

It's an extra layer of security you can add to your most sensitive files without too much trouble. How you go about this will depend on the software you're using to create the file in the first place.