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Microsoft to disable Excel workbook links to blocked file types

Microsoft has announced that it will start disabling external workbook links to blocked file types by default between October 2025 and July 2026.

After the rollout, Excel workbooks referencing blocked file types will display a #BLOCKED error or fail to refresh, eliminating security risks associated with accessing unsupported or high-risk file types, including, but not limited to, phishing attacks that utilize workbooks to redirect targets to malicious payloads.

This change is being introduced as a new FileBlockExternalLinks group policy, which expands File Block Settings to include external workbook links.

The Growing Impact Of AI And Quantum On Cybersecurity

#ArtificialIntelligence #CyberSecurity #QuantumComputing


The transformative effects of emerging technologies in this year by artificial intelligence and quantum computing will be hugely impactful; however, their cybersecurity challenges on society will require the need for proactive security adaptation and collaboration to mitigate new threats.

AI agent autonomously solves complex cybersecurity challenges using text-based tools

Artificial intelligence agents—AI systems that can work independently toward specific goals without constant human guidance—have demonstrated strong capabilities in software development and web navigation. Their effectiveness in cybersecurity has remained limited, however.

That may soon change, thanks to a research team from NYU Tandon School of Engineering, NYU Abu Dhabi and other universities that developed an AI agent capable of autonomously solving complex cybersecurity challenges.

The system, called EnIGMA, was presented this month at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) 2025 in Vancouver, Canada.

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