MACRO VIRUSES: WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM?

Since the computer began to be popular and to be used in almost any field and for any task, viruses have accompanied its growth and expansion. And while in those early moments it was more of a question of rebelling against the system, the scenario has changed today, with virus development being a most profitable activity.

One of the most dangerous types of virus, but which nevertheless goes largely unnoticed by all users who carry out their activities within the scope for which it was created, is the so-called macro virus, a malware that has been designed to run on those small programs called macros, so common in office suites such as Office, present in public offices, companies and personal computers around the world.

If you want to learn more about the dangers of macro viruses, do not hesitate to carefully read all the content of this post, where you will find everything you need to avoid having problems with this type of virus so common in offices.

What are macro viruses and how to stay safe?

Before starting it is necessary to remember that macros are small programs that include instructions and commands that are used to infect popular apps, such as office suites such as Microsoft Office, most commonly in Word or Excel, to automate or make easier a tasks that would otherwise be much more complex to perform.

These macros are used by virus developers to include code that, when executed, opens a door to the attacker that is used to steal information or infection through expansion to other files on the system  for various purposes, always illegal, such as it could not be otherwise.

One of the simplest ways to get infected with a virus through a macro is to receive a document, which can be an Excel or Word or any other that uses macros as part of its work, that contains an infected macro, a very common situation today in day. By opening it and executing the macro, which can be disguised as anything else, apparently harmless, we are unleashing a series of events that can even end in the hijacking of our computer.

This is due to the fact that hidden among the harmless instructions contained in the macro, there is also code that will allow the cybercriminal to download malware or viruses to our PC, and already in this instance, attack us or attack our contact list, for example.

How to stay safe from macro viruses

The first slogan that we must remember to stay safe from malware is to use common sense. If we receive an email informing us that we already have a package available, but we are not expecting one, it is obvious that it is a trap, and therefore we should not open it.

In the case of macros, if we open a file, and we are shown the notification to activate the macros, the first thing we have to think about is whether it is necessary for the document to contain macros. In the case where the document only contains text and some images then there is no need for macros hence it is a hoax.

It can also happen that we receive an email from a trusted contact, and that it is infected with malware. Being from a known contact, we will most likely open it without thinking twice, but this can be a fatal mistake.

The point is that our contact may already be infected and we may be the victims that were available in their contact list. This means that we should not open any attachment without first checking that it is clean.  Fortunately, realizing this is easy, since a document infected with a virus macro can be recognized since they generally do not have a message in the body of the email.

If this is the case, it is best to check with our contact to verify that it was who sent us the message. If you haven't had any input on the subject, then the only smart option is to delete the email with its content.

Delete macro virus

Unfortunately, if we are users who do not take security very seriously, becoming infected with some type of macro virus is very simple, have the antivirus that can fight with macro viruses and keep your device away from macro viruses. The only thing they can do is help us clean up in case the macro virus downloads other threats or sends or receives data to or from our computer.

That is why we must always make a backup copy of our most important data, since in the event of a macro virus infection that we cannot control, we can always format the computer so that everything returns to normal.