Junk mail/virus via macro???

[Nirado Griffin]

Hi ... I posted this before and would really like some help with this.

We recently commissioned someone to create an accounting and record keeping
spreadsheet, using various macros, to be used cross-platform by members of
our organization internationally. This was initially done on a PC, in Excel
2002, though it has operated (with some minor glitches) on my Mac in Excel
2004 perfectly well. We just had a report from a Mac user, who declares that
since using the spreadsheet and enabling macros, he now receives 25-30 junk
emails a day, where prior to this it was just 1 or so a week (lucky guy!) I
am not an expert, but reading the help pages, tells me there is the
possibility when enabling macros to pass on viruses. Since many users are
PC, and before we make this our standard, could someone please let me know
if there might be concern for us passing on a virus of some sort? Or should
we just make sure they have good anti-virus software (as any PC user should
do apparently) Is there concern for Mac users as well?

HELP!

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi ... I posted this before and would really like some help with this.

We recently commissioned someone to create an accounting and record keeping
spreadsheet, using various macros, to be used cross-platform by members of our
organization internationally. This was initially done on a PC, in Excel 2002,
though it has operated (with some minor glitches) on my Mac in Excel 2004
perfectly well. We just had a report from a Mac user, who declares that since
using the spreadsheet and enabling macros, he now receives 25-30 junk emails a
day, where prior to this it was just 1 or so a week (lucky guy!) I am not an
expert, but reading the help pages, tells me there is the possibility when
enabling macros to pass on viruses. Since many users are PC, and before we
make this our standard, could someone please let me know if there might be
concern for us passing on a virus of some sort? Or should we just make sure
they have good anti-virus software (as any PC user should do apparently) Is
there concern for Mac users as well?

HELP!

Hi,

The paranoia about macro viruses usually revolves around a macro executing
code that would manipulate the file system and do bad things, or sometimes
just prank things. A macro could be constructed to grab email addresses from
a database and send them out to a server someplace.

It¹s pretty easy to see if a macro is using the internet. Install a program
called Little Snitch.
http://versiontracker.com/php/qs.php?mode=basic&action=search&str=Little+Sni
tch&srchArea=macosx%7Cmacosx-all&submit=Go

If the macro attempts to use the internet, Little Snitch will tell you.

-Jim

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[Nirado Griffin]

Thanks Jim,

That¹s helpful. Unfortunately that link gets me to an error page, with
object not found...so can¹t download. Going via Version tracker, I see it is
$24.95 and only for Macs. Is there something compatible with PCs to
recommend?

Nirado