What would happen if you receive an official mail or tender quotation and your sensitive data starts BEING STOLEN? Shocked! Yes all this is true. With the start of Paper-Pen writing to MS Office 2007, writing skills have changed a lot. Various professionals use latest text editors to make their content more decorative and fascinating. With the evolution of computer based text editors i.e. from Notepad to Windows 2007, new and vast features were added time and again, one of the features being MACRO.
A macro is a series of commands and instructions that are grouped together as a single command to accomplish the desired task automatically.
These macros were created to provide ease to the users. But like every coin has two sides, these macros can also lead to economical and mental harassment. Earlier, a belief was prevalent that doc and word files are safe from virus, but now, even this is possible by the grace of Hackers. A TROJAN or VIRUS can be created using these macros, which can be programmed to harm the data of the end user up to any extent.
The conventional anti virus systems do not detect these macro viruses in the form of a malicious code.
As macros may contain viruses, be careful about operating them. Take the following precautions:
1. Run up-to-date antivirus software on your computer;
2. Set your macro security level to high;
3. Clear the Trust all installed add-ins and templates check box;
4. Use digital signatures;
5. Maintain a list of trusted publishers.
As a security measure to prevent the spread of viruses on your computer from macros you run, confirm that Outlook has the ‘High Security’ setting. This means that you can run only macros that have been digitally signed by the source that supplies them. Before trusting a source, you should confirm that the source is reliable and uses a virus scanner before signing their macros, because Outlook opens the macros without any warning message if the source is trusted.
Related Links :-
1. http://kb.iu.edu/data/agzk.html
2. these MACROS viruses can be built easily with freeware (free software) “METASPLOIT” http://www.metasploit.com/.
3. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/orkXP/HA011362661033.aspx
A macro is a series of commands and instructions that are grouped together as a single command to accomplish the desired task automatically.
These macros were created to provide ease to the users. But like every coin has two sides, these macros can also lead to economical and mental harassment. Earlier, a belief was prevalent that doc and word files are safe from virus, but now, even this is possible by the grace of Hackers. A TROJAN or VIRUS can be created using these macros, which can be programmed to harm the data of the end user up to any extent.
The conventional anti virus systems do not detect these macro viruses in the form of a malicious code.
As macros may contain viruses, be careful about operating them. Take the following precautions:
1. Run up-to-date antivirus software on your computer;
2. Set your macro security level to high;
3. Clear the Trust all installed add-ins and templates check box;
4. Use digital signatures;
5. Maintain a list of trusted publishers.
As a security measure to prevent the spread of viruses on your computer from macros you run, confirm that Outlook has the ‘High Security’ setting. This means that you can run only macros that have been digitally signed by the source that supplies them. Before trusting a source, you should confirm that the source is reliable and uses a virus scanner before signing their macros, because Outlook opens the macros without any warning message if the source is trusted.
Related Links :-
1. http://kb.iu.edu/data/agzk.html
2. these MACROS viruses can be built easily with freeware (free software) “METASPLOIT” http://www.metasploit.com/.
3. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/orkXP/HA011362661033.aspx
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