Security features in 2007 Microsoft Office system

Published: November 27, 2006
2007 Microsoft Office System: Phishing Scams

Along with the new streamlined screen layout, the Microsoft Office 2007 system comes with some behind-the-scenes security measures in place to help protect your computer from threats.

Get more protection from phishing scams in Microsoft Office documents

You've probably heard of phishing scams: fraudulent e-mail messages or fake Web sites designed to steal your identity. Scam artists "phish" in an attempt to persuade you to disclose sensitive information.

If you click a suspicious link in a Microsoft Office document, the following alert appears.

Microsoft Office Security Notice

You can then choose whether to continue to visit the Web site. In this situation, we recommend that you click No. For more information, see Enable or disable security alerts about links to and files from suspicious Web sites.

Get more protection from phishing scams with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

By default, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 does the following to a suspicious message:

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If a message meets the Junk E-mail Filter's definition of a phishing scheme, but not the definition of spam, the filter keeps the message in your Inbox, but disables any links in the message and prevents you from replying to that message.

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If the message meets the Junk E-mail Filter's definition of both spam and a phishing scheme, Outlook 2007 sends the message to the Junk E-mail folder. Outlook converts all messages sent to the Junk E-mail folder to plain text format and disables all links in them. It also prevents you from replying to the message. The InfoBar alerts you to this change:

InfoBar message

If you click a link that Outlook disabled in a phishing message, the following Outlook Security dialog box appears.

Microsoft Outlook security message

If you want to continue to receive messages that notify you about potential security risks, click OK.

Block potentially dangerous content in documents

To help protect your security and privacy, Microsoft Office blocks external content — such as images, linked media, hyperlinks, and data connections — in workbooks and presentations. External content is any content that is linked from the Internet or an intranet to a workbook or presentation.

Scam artists can use external content to steal your personal information or to run malicious code on your computer without your knowledge or consent.

If your workbook or presentation contains external content, when you try to open the file the Message Bar notifies you that the external content has been blocked. You will not be able to view or edit the content in your workbook or presentation.

Message Bar security alert

If you click Enable Content on the Message Bar, a security dialog box opens that gives you the option to unblock the external content.

You should only unblock the external content if you are sure that it is from a trustworthy source.

security dialog box

View your security settings in the Trust Center

The Trust Center is where you can modify security and privacy settings for many different features of Microsoft Office, including the following:

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ActiveX controls

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add-ins

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macros

Very High, High, Medium, and Low security levels that were used in earlier versions of Microsoft Office applications are now replaced with a more streamlined security system.

The 2007 Microsoft Office System Trust Center

To access Trust Center in Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Access:

1.

Click the Microsoft Office ButtonMicrosoft Office Button, and then click Program Name Options.

2.

Click Trust Center, and then click Trust Center Settings.

To access Trust Center in Visio, Outlook, Publisher, or InfoPath:

1.

On the Tools menu, click Trust Center.

2.

Click the security area that you want.



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Related Links
•Microsoft Office Online
•Overview of Office security
•How Office helps protect you from phishing schemes
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