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IT/ 206 Week 4 Checkpoint:
The Risk of Macros
What is a primary security risk that users should acknowledge when using macros?
From what I read and found from the Student text, the Microsoft web site and the Internet, and based on the article by Lenning (2005), a user should accept the primary security that is placed on the user's computer by Microsoft. The security has a purpose of protecting the computer's hardware, and for the data saved on the user's computer. Unknown macros placed on a computer or downloaded by the user, the Microsoft security system thinks the computer has a virus. The user should be careful in choosing between a signed or unsigned macros; and the purpose of any unsigned macros are automatically disabled. (Microsoft, 2002).
Why is it important to educate users of these risks once their dilemma is resolved?
There are some good reasons to educate users about the various macros risks even after the user's dilemma is resolved. I think one of the main reasons is the continued alerts sent by the Microsoft security system every time the user try's to use one of the various Microsoft suites with the macro in the program. The second could be the user might be getting alerts that there are viruses or some type of security breach to the user's computer. The worst of the virus type of macros that could be produced by the security protection on the computer that is part of Microsoft suite program, is the data or any type of information the user saved on the computer, could be deleted by the computer for no reason - at least not known to the user.
The Risk of Macros
What is a primary security risk that users should acknowledge when using macros?
From what I read and found from the Student text, the Microsoft web site and the Internet, and based on the article by Lenning (2005), a user should accept the primary security that is placed on the user's computer by Microsoft. The security has a purpose of protecting the computer's hardware, and for the data saved on the user's computer. Unknown macros placed on a computer or downloaded by the user, the Microsoft security system thinks the computer has a virus. The user should be careful in choosing between a signed or unsigned macros; and the purpose of any unsigned macros are automatically disabled. (Microsoft, 2002).
Why is it important to educate users of these risks once their dilemma is resolved?
There are some good reasons to educate users about the various macros risks even after the user's dilemma is resolved. I think one of the main reasons is the continued alerts sent by the Microsoft security system every time the user try's to use one of the various Microsoft suites with the macro in the program. The second could be the user might be getting alerts that there are viruses or some type of security breach to the user's computer. The worst of the virus type of macros that could be produced by the security protection on the computer that is part of Microsoft suite program, is the data or any type of information the user saved on the computer, could be deleted by the computer for no reason - at least not known to the user.