Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you make any purchase by clicking our links. Please see our detailed guide here.

Follow us on:

Microsoft Disables Commands in Excel 4.0 to Protect From Security Threats

Join the Opinion Leaders Network

Join the Techgenyz Opinion Leaders Network today and become part of a vibrant community of change-makers. Together, we can create a brighter future by shaping opinions, driving conversations, and transforming ideas into reality.

Microsoft has disabled a series of commands in Excel 4.0 to protect customers against security threats, especially ransomware.

In July 2021, Microsoft released a new Excel Trust Center setting option to restrict the usage of Excel 4.0 (XLM) macros (a series of commands).

“As planned, we have now made this setting the default when opening Excel 4.0 (XLM) macros. This will help our customers protect themselves against related security threats,” the tech giant said in a blog post.

Te aim is to safeguard customers from ransomware and other malware groups using Excel 4.0 macros.

“State-sponsored and cybercriminal attackers started experimenting with legacy Excel 4.0 macros in response to Microsoft in 2018 cracking down on macro scripts written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA),” reports ZDNet.

Administrators can also use the existing Microsoft 365 applications policy control to configure this setting.

Administrators also have the option to completely block all XLM macro usage (including in new user-created files) by enabling the Group Policy, “Prevent Excel from running XLM macros”, which is configurable via Group Policy Editor or registry key.

Partner With Us

Digital advertising offers a way for your business to reach out and make much-needed connections with your audience in a meaningful way. Advertising on Techgenyz will help you build brand awareness, increase website traffic, generate qualified leads, and grow your business.

Join 10,000+ Fellow Readers

Get Techgenyz’s roundup delivered to your inbox curated with the most important for you that keeps you updated about the future tech, mobile, space, gaming, business and more.

Recomended

Find Apps

The Ultimate Hub for Discovering Apps Unlock a world of apps: your ultimate hub for exploring and discovering limitless possibilities for on your every needs.

Power Your Business

Solutions you need to super charge your business and drive growth

More from this topic