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AUTOMATING ACTIONS WITH MACROS 9

Assigning a certificate you create with SelfCert.exe
to a project indicates that the project is self-signed and
not authenticated. This option works well for personal
workbooks. However, if you plan to distribute your
workbook to other users, you probably want to consider
acquiring a true digital signature file. When you use a
commercial digital signature file, the digital ID attaches
to the macro and remains with it; if the macro is altered
in any way, the user is notified that the macro has been
changed and should not be trusted. This ensures that a
macro you create is not altered to harm another
person's machine.
The most common source of digital certification is
VeriSign, Inc. Of course, to obtain a commercial
certification, you have to submit an application and pay
the appropriate fee. You can find out more about
obtaining a digital certification for your macro at
www.verisign.com. Another company that you can contact
for a digital ID is Thawte Consulting. You can find out
about their digital signature options at www.thawte.com.

SELFCERT.EXE

CREATE A PERSONAL Note: Office XP typically locates your ■ The Create Digital ˇ Click OK.
SECURITY CERTIFICATE program files in C:\Program Certificate dialog box opens.
⁄ Open Microsoft Windows Files\Microsoft Office. › Type your name. ■ SelfCert.exe creates a
digital certificate.
Explorer. ‹ Double-click the
¤ Click the Office10 SelfCert.exe program
subfolder of the Microsoft file. CONTINUED
Office folder.
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