Microsoft: Change in the way Office software handles macros

To fight ransomware and maleware Microsoft is importing a major change in the way its proprietary Office software handles macros. When files using the latter are downloaded from the internet, these macros will be disabled by default. Existing versions of Office give us a warning about this type of file on which you can click to delete them. In the new version, however, there is no way to enable them.

This change will first appear in the new version of Office 2023 in April and then made available for Microsoft 365 Office which is constantly updated since June. Editing will also be enabled for all standalone versions of Office currently supportedincluding versions 2021, 2019, 2016, and 2013. Mac, iOS, Android, and web versions of Office will not be affected.

Microsoft, Office will change the way you handle macros

The software can track macros downloaded from the internet through a tag, at least when the file is saved to an NTFS volume. When Office sees this tag it will open the file in protected view mode in case this file is malicious. If people really want to, they will still be able to use these macros quite simply.

We can open the properties of any file downloaded from the web, click on the “unlock” button and remove this very important tag. As with safety, change is not about complicating things to do, but about protect users from accidental clicks and simple mistakes. Organizations that rely on these macros will be able to change this setting through Group Policy. They can do this by placing the files with the macros in the “trusted locations” by digitally signing these macros.

The latter are very similar to a function that is, they can be called up by events and be parameterized, allowing code reuse, a similar concept in the systems field is that of shell script. It therefore allows you to execute a series or block of operations or instructions by sending a single command, reusable and useful for automating more complex tasks than individual instructions on request; some programs have within them the ability to create or record and run macros. The original concept of macro it does not involve the use of a programming languagebeing a simple recording of a series of commands already available within the software.

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