Antivirus applications are commonly used to protect against viruses on the internet. Macro viruses require user action and can be a nuisance. Trusted macros are the safest and can be created by the user or IT department. It’s best to avoid accepting files with macros and to research before creating them. Disabling macros by default helps reduce infections, but it’s still important to be aware of downloaded files.
With the growing popularity and daily use of the Internet and the growing threat of viruses, many Internet users have implemented antivirus applications to protect themselves from virus attacks while on the Internet.
Macro viruses require a user action to be taken once they have been downloaded or make their way onto a computer system. Viruses are typically written in a scripting language commonly used to create macros for use within applications. Some of these macro viruses are more of a nuisance than a security threat to a computer system. An example would be a macro virus that produces unwanted text within Microsoft Word® when a certain key combination is pressed.
Many applications, including Microsoft Word® and Excel®, disable macro execution by default. This helps protect the unsuspecting user from accidentally running a macro virus. These applications retain macro recognition and with a few changes to the security settings, you can enable trusted macros or all macros.
Trusted macros are the most secure macros and are least likely to contain a macro virus. These files are typically created by the user who will be using the macro or by a corporate IT department for use only within their organization.
A macro virus can be placed on a computer in the same way as a self-executing virus, using email or downloading files from the Internet. As with other types of viruses, other users can also transmit macro viruses to colleagues or others using floppy disks or flash memory drives from which they may not realize they are infected.
As a general rule, it’s often best not to accept files with embedded macros or to use macros created by other people. Doing a bit of internet research on the use of macros can help a user create macro files for their own use and reduce the likelihood of a macro virus infection. If a user needs to download a macro template or a file containing macros, the download source must be trusted and verified as virus-free.
Disabling macros by default has been a huge step in reducing the spread of macro virus infections, but it continues to be your responsibility to be aware of files you receive or download from the Internet, both executables and macros, to reduce the likelihood that a virus or macro virus infects their computer.
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