![]() This encryption should extend to Microsoft Excel files. Remote working and subsequent digital transformations (e.g., moving to face-to-face meetings to teleconferencing technology) due to the COVID-19 pandemic increased the average cost of a data breach by 10%.Įncryption can be key to mitigating unauthorized access to cloud-based storage systems, email accounts, computers, laptops, tablets, and portable storage devices. Unauthorized access is responsible for 20% of breaches, making compromised credentials stand out as a leading cause of data breaches. But Microsoft was not the only target: by September of 2021, data breaches across industries and software programs had surpassed breaches from the year prior by 17%. Microsoft admitted that this campaign was just one of hundreds that targeted Excel. If users bypassed the warning and allowed the file to run, the device would download and run NetSupport Manager, which is a remote access tool often used by hackers to control external devices, such as a victim’s computer. If downloaded and opened, the Excel file displayed a graph of COVID-19 cases in the US and a security warning. The email was related to the COVID-19 pandemic and came with an Excel attachment. The campaign was based around an email that appeared to come from a medical center. In 2020, Microsoft’s Security Intelligence team announced it had detected a phishing campaign that specifically targeted Excel. ![]() ![]() Excel is commonly used for all sorts of organizational tasks such as budgeting, planning, data reporting and analysis, and more.īut how safe is Excel for transferring sensitive data? This nearly ubiquitous spreadsheet software offers features such as calculations, graphing, and data sorting. Originally launched in 1985, Microsoft Excel has long been an essential software and management tool for 99.99% of businesses, with versions available for Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. ![]()
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