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## Macro Viruses/Malware

Macro viruses/malware are application-specific. They infect macro utilities that accompany such applications as Microsoft Word (`.doc`) and Microsoft Excel (`.xls`). Therefore, they can be detected in files with extensions common to macro capable applications such as `.doc`, `.xls`, and `.ppt`. Macro viruses/malware travel between data files in the application and can eventually infect hundreds of files if undeterred.
As these file types are often attached to email messages, macro viruses/malware spread readily by means of the Internet in email attachments.
ScanMail prevents macro viruses/malware from infecting your Exchange server in the following ways:

- Detects malicious macro code using heuristic scanning.
  Heuristic scanning is an evaluative method of detecting viruses/malware. This method excels at detecting undiscovered viruses/malware and threats that do not have a known virus signature.
- Strips all macro code from scanned files.