Microsoft will block Office VBA macros by default

Microsoft has chosen to block Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros in Office applications by default to improve security. This is an important change because attackers have long used Office macros to distribute malware, compromise data, or even gain remote access to a device.

If a file downloaded from the Internet contains a macro, then a notification will appear in the Office application with a link to an article from Microsoft support. To run the macro, users will need to unlock the file using File Explorer’s Properties dialog box. The company hopes that this change will have a positive impact on safety. Note that earlier macros were also blocked by default, but to enable them, it was enough to click on the button in the corresponding warning in Office.

In early April, the change will be available to Office testers on the Current Channel (Preview), and after some time it will reach all Microsoft 365 users. Microsoft also intends to block macros in Office LTSC, Office 2021, Office 2019, Office 2016, and even Office 2013. The change will affect Windows versions of Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Word.