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.
Starting with Microsoft® Office Visio® 2007, 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of Visio 2007, these dialog boxes have been eliminated, and as of Microsoft Visio 2010, Visio toolbars and menus have been replaced by the ribbon.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 Web site.
For more information about good security design practices and technologies, search for "security" on MSDN.
Additional Visio resources
To learn more about Visio add-ons and COM add-ins, see the MSDN article, Overview of Add-ons and COM Add-ins in Visio 2007.
To learn more about the RUNADDON function and the AddonName property, see the MSDN article Changes in the RUNADDON Function and the AddOnName Property for Visio 2002.