Microsoft rolls back blocking Office VBA macros by default

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

There is a planned change to block VBA in a variety of Office apps. Microsoft had been planning to prevent Office users from enabling certain content in files downloaded from the internet that include macros in order to improve security against malicious files. Microsoft had been testing the change before it was rolled out to all Microsoft 365 users in June, but reverted the block on June 30th.

According to BleepingComputer, Microsoft notified IT admins last week that it was reverting the VBA macro block back to it's previous state. Microsoft is working to make improvements to the experience after receiving feedback.

Image: Microsoft

Many Microsoft users had been waiting for Microsoft to be more aggressive about blocking macros from Office files. Office has encouraged users to click on a button to enable macros, which have been used by hackers to target Office documents. Office users will only be able to enable the macros if they tick an option on the properties of the file.

Some users didn't like the extra steps. One person commented on Microsoft's original announcement and said that it was difficult for end users to enable macros. Microsoft is rolling back the changes without telling IT admins that it is changing the VBA block. IT admins have been preparing users for the change as it requires user training.

Microsoft hasn't explained what improvements it's planning to make to the VBA macros block or when it will roll out once again A roll back has begun based on feedback received, says a principal group product manager. There is an update about the roll back. Before the update about the change was available, I apologize for any delays in the roll back.