The first Macro Virus

The first macro virus, called Concept, appeared in July 1995. Subsequently, macro viruses (most often infecting Word documents) became the main type of viruses and remained so until the end of the last century, when Microsoft disabled macros in Office by default (Office versions 2000 and later).
Since then, cybercriminals have had to make attempts to trick their victims into enabling macros before their infected macro can work.

How macro viruses spread?

Macro viruses are most commonly found in documents or inserted as malicious code into word processing programs. They can be contained in documents attached to emails, or the code can be downloaded after clicking “phishing” links in banner ads or URLs.
They are difficult to detect as they do not work until the infected macro is run - then they execute a series of commands.
A macro virus is similar to a Trojan horse: it can appear quite safe and users do not immediately notice any malicious consequences. However, unlike Trojans, macro viruses can copy themselves and infect other computers.

Risks

The main danger of macro viruses is their ability to spread quickly. As soon as the infected macro is run, all other documents on the user's computer are infected.

Some of these viruses make changes to text documents (for example, skip or paste words), others gain access to email accounts and send copies of infected files to all of the user's contacts, who in turn open these files because they are sent from a trusted source.

These viruses can also be designed to delete or infect stored data. In addition, it is important to note that macro viruses are cross-platform: they can infect Windows and Mac computers using the same code.

Any program that uses macros can act as a host, and any copy of the infected program sent by e-mail, stored on disk or on a USB stick, will contain a virus.

To remove these viruses, you should use reliable security software that provides dedicated virus detection and removal tools. Routine scans will clean up any infected documents and prevent new computer viruses from being downloaded.

Types of Macro Viruses

There are several forms of macro viruses. Some believe that these viruses are a holdover from the late 1990s, but in recent years they have returned to active activity, forcing users to be especially vigilant.

1)Concept Virus
Concept was the first macro virus. It appeared in July 1995 and infected the Microsoft Word word processor. Subsequently, macro viruses became the main type of viruses.

2)Melissa virus
Melissa made history as the first macro-virus with the function of an email worm. It began spreading via email on March 26, 1999, infecting tens of thousands in a matter of hours. It was one of the worst epidemics in the history of the Internet.