Malwares are one of the most dangerous things that can hack your computer and forbid your access to your very own files and one of the most critical malware that is currently inhabiting the Windows system is called Ransomware.
Ransomware is a type of malware which not only attacks your computer and does not grant you accessibility to your folders and files but it asks for a huge amount of money/ransom in return for it to give you the accessibility: hence the name Ransomware.
The ransoms have increased greatly and have now jumped about 31 percent to $233,817 in the third quarter of 2020 from $110,532 in the second quarter. The question has that if such a dangerous malware exist does Windows has done anything in order to provide protection from it?
Well, Windows does have a protection against it and it is the first line and only line of defense against this malware attack for the majority of consumers using Windows in 2021.
Not many consumers of Windows know this but Microsoft offers built-in ransomware protection as part of Windows Defender, found under Virus & Threat Protection. But how do you enable it?
The basics for turning on the protection from the malware are not complicated at all. All you have to do is type in “Ransomware Protection” in your Windows 10 Cortana search bar which is usually present in the lower left corner of your screen. After that go to “Ransomware Protection” screen and you will be given the option to select “Protected folders” as Microsoft spells out in this recent document. Then you have the option to select which folders you want protected.
The PC Security Channel ran some tests to check the authenticity of this malware protection service in order to see how much our files and folders were safe both online and offline. The results that came back were, that the online protection test let only a single ransomware “sample” get through while the offline protection was much dice-er with 10 samples missed.
After the online tests it was impossible and very hard to reboot the computer due to the ransomware as well. Though some documents were shielded by the Protected Folders feature and therefore the PC Security Channel recommends turning on the Controlled Folder Access, which is under the Windows Ransomware Protection feature.
The cybersecurity professionals at the company did give some tips on how to protect your files and data in case your computer is attacked by the malware agent. The first tip is that you use a reliable cloud-based file hosting service with automatic backup, such as Microsoft’s OneDrive, so you’re regularly backing up files. Apart from this, another good defense is the air grip strategy in which the external device is not connected to your computer and the internet. Back up your files, then disconnect the storage device.
Read next: The Immense Increase In The Ethical Hacking Due To Pandemic, Tells HackerOne Report 2021
Ransomware is a type of malware which not only attacks your computer and does not grant you accessibility to your folders and files but it asks for a huge amount of money/ransom in return for it to give you the accessibility: hence the name Ransomware.
The ransoms have increased greatly and have now jumped about 31 percent to $233,817 in the third quarter of 2020 from $110,532 in the second quarter. The question has that if such a dangerous malware exist does Windows has done anything in order to provide protection from it?
Well, Windows does have a protection against it and it is the first line and only line of defense against this malware attack for the majority of consumers using Windows in 2021.
Not many consumers of Windows know this but Microsoft offers built-in ransomware protection as part of Windows Defender, found under Virus & Threat Protection. But how do you enable it?
The basics for turning on the protection from the malware are not complicated at all. All you have to do is type in “Ransomware Protection” in your Windows 10 Cortana search bar which is usually present in the lower left corner of your screen. After that go to “Ransomware Protection” screen and you will be given the option to select “Protected folders” as Microsoft spells out in this recent document. Then you have the option to select which folders you want protected.
The PC Security Channel ran some tests to check the authenticity of this malware protection service in order to see how much our files and folders were safe both online and offline. The results that came back were, that the online protection test let only a single ransomware “sample” get through while the offline protection was much dice-er with 10 samples missed.
After the online tests it was impossible and very hard to reboot the computer due to the ransomware as well. Though some documents were shielded by the Protected Folders feature and therefore the PC Security Channel recommends turning on the Controlled Folder Access, which is under the Windows Ransomware Protection feature.
The cybersecurity professionals at the company did give some tips on how to protect your files and data in case your computer is attacked by the malware agent. The first tip is that you use a reliable cloud-based file hosting service with automatic backup, such as Microsoft’s OneDrive, so you’re regularly backing up files. Apart from this, another good defense is the air grip strategy in which the external device is not connected to your computer and the internet. Back up your files, then disconnect the storage device.
Read next: The Immense Increase In The Ethical Hacking Due To Pandemic, Tells HackerOne Report 2021
