Prevent Your Computer From Ransomware Attacks..#Must read

Prevent Ransomware Attacks: From several months, we are hearing the term ransomware a lot. Ransomware is the malicious software which blocks access to the computer until and unless you pay them.

In this year alone, two popular ransomware made its way to thousands of computers which are running on Windows of course. WannaCry and Petya have already caused a lot of trouble and chaos worldwide. Many organizations had to shut down their operation.

Apart from various organizations, ransomware affected various individual’s computer. Now, all of these attacks largely happens on Windows operating system. Microsoft has always been criticized by various developers for not providing enough security to their operations system.

Now Windows 10 Can Prevent Ransomware Attacks

Now, Microsoft has taken some serious security measures to protect your desktop from future ransomware attacks. They have introduced an inbuilt feature in their latest Insider preview build(16232) which will protect your files from ransomware like WannaCry and Petya(also NotPetya). Some several other security updates have also introduced in this latest preview build.

For those who are not on insider build, you will receive these patches soon. Somewhere between September and October 2017.

LitThis feature is known as “Controlled Folder Access“. This anti-ransomware feature is included in Microsoft’s Windows Defender which blocks unauthorized apps from making any changes to your files.

There is also an option to whitelist certain apps which you think is secure and could not harm your files in any way.

Follow the below guide step by step to enable this feature.

Enable Controlled Folder Access and Whitelist Certain Applications

To enable the “Controlled Folder Access”, follow the below steps:

1. Search Windows Defender Security Center and open it.
2. Click on Virus and threat protection 
3. And Enable the feature.

This will enable the Anti-ransomware feature and the protection of your files will begin.

Now Windows 10 Can Prevent Ransomware Attacks

This is how you can whitelist apps which you trust on.

1. Open windows defender security center.
2. Head on to virus & threat protection settings.
3. Click on allow apps through controlled folder access.
4. Click “Add an app” and select the app.

Now Windows 10 Can Prevent Ransomware Attacks

To add or remove your personal folders.

1. Under virus and threat section, click on protected folders
2. Enter the full path of the folder you want to monitor.

Windows library folders such as downloads, pictures etc can not be removed which means they are compulsory protected. Well, that was the Controlled folder access. Many more security features are also present in this new preview build. Have a look at them too.

Windows Defender application guard(WDAG) for Edge:

It is a new system running Microsoft edge in a virtual machine which protects OS from browser based flaws. Exploit protection is a feature which can protect your OS from cyber attacks. This works even when security patches are not available which is a great thing. It works without Windows Defender but somehow still appears in Windows defender security center.

Soon Microsoft will also use AI based Antivirus which will provide an advanced protection from theft.