Office productivity software is the set of applications people use to create and edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations, email, and related work files. Common examples include word processors and spreadsheet tools. These programs are central to business operations because they store sensitive information, support collaboration, and move data between users, files, and systems.
In cyber security, this software matters because attackers often target it as an entry point or a place to hide malicious content. Phishing documents, weaponized macros, malicious formulas, and clipboard or plugin abuse can all exploit everyday trust in these tools. Defenders focus on patching, macro restrictions, sandboxing, file filtering, and user training to reduce risk. Even non-malicious defects, such as update regressions, can become security-relevant when they disrupt the reliability of core workflows and slow down safe patch deployment.