Mosul Studies Center Concludes Training Course on Protecting Office Software from Malicious Viruses

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Under the patronage of Professor Dr. Waheed Mahmoud Al-Ibrahimi, President of the University of Mosul, and the supervision of the Director of the Mosul Studies Center, Assistant Professor Dr. Mohammed Nizar Al-Dabbagh, the Center, in cooperation with the Department of Studies and Planning – Sustainable Development Unit, held a continuing education course entitled: Protecting Office Software from Malicious Viruses.

Lecturer: Ms. Shahd Waadallah Yassin, Librarian at the Mosul Studies Center.

Course Management: Dr. Suhaib Mahmoud Khader, Member of the Library Committee and Instructor at the Mosul Studies Center. The course took place in the Formation Hall from April 14-15, 2026.

Course Objectives: The primary objective was to prevent any threats that might exploit office security programs to infiltrate a device or steal data from programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint, and to protect them from malicious viruses. This is a crucial aspect of information security, as these programs are used daily and handle files that can be used to spread attacks.

Course Sections:

Day 1: – Protecting files from corruption or encryption (such as ransomware attacks) – Preventing information theft (passwords, work data, etc.) – Maintaining system stability and preventing crashes.

– Preventing viruses from spreading to other devices via files

Day 2: Virus Protection Methods, including:

1- Antivirus Protection
Programs such as Windows Defender or Kaspersky perform the following functions:

Scanning files before opening them
Detecting viruses and malware
Removing or quarantining threats

2- Macro Security
Some Word and Excel files contain macros (internal code) that may be malicious. 3- Protection from Attached Files
Many attacks come via email.
Avoid opening suspicious files such as:
Word/Excel files from unknown sources
Files that request “Enable Content”
4- Security Updates
Update software like Microsoft Office regularly. Updates patch vulnerabilities exploited by hackers.
5- Permission Controls
This involves specifying who can open, modify, and run macros. Reducing permissions minimizes risk.
6- Backup
Save a copy of your files to:

USB or external hard drive

or the cloud.

This contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 1.

For more information:

https://uomosul.edu.iq/en/mosulstudiescenter/2026/04/30/mosul-studies-ce…alicious-viruses/

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