About Security Settings and Running Code in Visio (ShapeSheet)

Creating secure applications is one of the primary challenges facing solution developers. Users, administrators, and developers are increasingly aware of the potential of unknowingly running code that can be harmful to their computers. It is more important than ever that you help to ensure the integrity of your applications.

All security settings are Office-wide and are set in the Trust Center (click the File tab, click Options, and then click Trust Center). Affected settings include the following:

  • Specifying trusted publishers

  • Specifying trusted locations

  • Loading COM add-ins

  • Loading published and path-discovered add-ons

  • Loading VBA macros

In previous versions of Visio, settings were made in the Security dialog box and the Security tab of the Options dialog box (Tools menu). As of Office Visio 2007, these dialog boxes have been eliminated, and as of Microsoft Visio 2010, Visio toolbars and menus have been replaced by the ribbon.

For more information about settings in the Office Trust Center, see Security Notes for Microsoft Office Solution Developers.

For information about digitally signing code and trusted sources and publishers, search for "code signing" on MSDN, the Microsoft Developer Network website.

For more information about good security design practices and technologies, search for "security" on MSDN.

Additional Visio resources