Microsoft’s Mac Office 11 Ransomware
Microsoft has finally decided that ransomeware is a viable business proposition. Yesterday when I opened Excel, MS’s Autoupdate Window opened and advised me that there was an update available. I had seen this notice several times before but hadn’t taken time do update. Yesterday, I did. When the update was complete, I gained opened Excel to continue with my work. Imagine my surprise when a window opened asking me to buy Office, enter a product key or see an existing file read only. I selected see a file and when Excel opened the splash screen showed my name but not my product key. I was able to see the file but could not make changes of any sort.
Being aware of M$’s superior support, I went on line and ended up with a phone call to a foreign country. The pleasant young lady redirected my call to the Macintosh Office support center where I was told that because I had updated Office 11 of course I would nee to renter the product key. Since I have owned and used Office 11 on this computer since very late 2010 and updated both OS X and Office 11 numerous times I was somewhat taken aback. The further explanation was due to having purchased Office 11 from a 3rd party vendor (long gone) and having upgraded OS X my product code no longer was available to Office.
Somewhere in the past 5 years, including a couple of work moves, I have lost the original Office packaging with the product key. My friendly M$ support lady told me, essentially, “Tough. Go buy a new product code.” because the vendor from whom I purchased the product was gone and because I no longer had the packaging.
Why is this ransomware? First, to access and use my existing files, I must pay a ransom to M$ in the form of an additional Office purchase. Secondly, there was no warning or other notice that implementing the upgrade would cause the loss of my product key. And, third, since my original vendor was gone, there was no was I could be helped.
Please post if you have had a similar experience. This kind of theft by a major software vendor must not go un-noticed. Security is one thing, this kind of rip-off another.
-Phil Jackson, San Antonio, TX.
