M365 Changelog: Announcing Ability to Digitally Sign VBA Projects in Microsoft Access Databases
MC482182 – When creating a Microsoft Access database, authors will be able to use a code signing certificate to digitally sign the database. The signature will cover VBA code and other elements of the database such as Access macros and action queries. This will enable databases to execute VBA code and other active elements when the Trust Center Macro Settings are set to only enable digitally signed VBA macros to run.
When this will happen:
Preview: This feature is available in Beta and Current Channel (Preview) now, for Office version 2211 and subsequent versions.
Standard Release: This feature will be available in Current Channel starting with Office Version 2211 in late November and will be available in Semi-Annual channel in July 2023.
How this will affect your organization:
This feature will have no impact on users or tenants, unless your organization chooses to use it. However, if you organization has set Trust Center Macro Settings to enable only digitally signed VBA macros, by using this feature, users will be able to run active content in databases without putting the database into a Trusted Location, if it is signed (either by the author, or by your organization), with a digital signature from a publisher that is trusted by your organization.
What you need to do to prepare:
If your organization does not yet enable the setting to run only digitally signed VBA macros, you can prepare to do so by ensuring that for any databases that you wish to run with active content are signed with a certificate from a trusted publisher.