How to Protect Files/Folders against Ransomware Attacks in Windows 10

Do you know how to protect yourself against Ransomware?

This online attack is a growing threat, but there are ways to stay safe.

This article illustrates several effective ways to protect your valuable file and data from malware (ransomware) attacks and threats. To protect certain important files and folders, the best form of defense might be putting the content under lock and key. And there are some quick and easy ways of protecting files and folders on Windows 10. Let's see:

• Option 1: Enable Ransomware protection
• Option 2: Backup files and folders
• Option 3: Encrypt files and folders
• Option 4: Keep your PC up-to-date

Option 1: Enable Windows Defender Ransomware Protection

Controlled folder access in Windows Defender Security Center reviews the apps that can make changes to files in protected folders. While it is disabled by default, you can enable it to monitor your apps for activities that may be malicious. Block an illegitimate app from making illegitimate changes to your files.

Step 1: Open the Windows Defender Security Center, and click the Virus & threat protection icon.

Step 2: Click on Ransomware protection link. (Or click on the Virus & threat protection settings links if you are using later versions of Windows 10.

Step 3: Turn on Controlled folder access switch. And click on Protected folders link to add a protected folder you want.

Step 4: Click on the + button, and then navigate to select the folder you want to protect. Here you can also select network shares and mapped drives.

When using the Controlled Folder Access feature, you might find that some programs like Photoshop, Snagit are being blocked by Windows Defender. If you want an app or software program to access a protected folder, you can add the app to the white list. That is to say,  excluding from the protection.

How to allow program access to your files

Step 1: Click on the Allow an app through controlled folder access link.

Step 2: Click on the Add an allowed app button to select the EXE file in the app installation folder.

Option 2: Backup files and valuable data

You can protect yourself from ransomware by backing up your data regularly. If you back up your data frequently, there's little reason to pay a ransom after an attack. You can just wipe the hard drive and reinstall your data from the backup. Experts explain that off-site "cloud" backups may be safer than using an external hard drive, which can sometimes be zapped with the same ransomware as the computer. But a hard-drive backup is much better than no backup at all. Do remember that this feature is not an alternative to regular backups. There are some useful guides on backup files and folders, see:

How to Create a File History Backup in Windows 10
How to Back up Your Personal Data in Windows 10

When backing up files, be sure to back up your personal files to a location where they can't be written to or erased. For example, place them on a removable hard drive or upload them to a remote backup service.

选项 3：通过使用 Windows 内置软件加密来保护数据

为了保护您的文件夹免遭窥探，您可以使用 Windows 文件夹加密，它提供文件混淆功能，将文件锁定到您的帐户。这样，如果使用其他帐户的人或将您的文件复制到另一台电脑的人尝试访问您的内容，他们就需要知道您的帐户密码。虽然任何人使用您的电脑和帐户都拥有完全访问权限。您还可以使用压缩软件创建加密存档，例如 7-Zip、Win RAR 等。

对于 Office 文档，您可以应用加密并使用密码保护它们。要在 Office 应用程序中使用密码保护文档，请参阅：如何在 Office 2010-2016 中加密文件并为其添加密码。

选项 4：让您的电脑保持最新状态

专家尚未报告在 Windows 操作系统的更新中发现恶意软件。恰恰相反。快速而频繁的更新可以保护您的计算机。较旧的操作系统也很容易成为勒索软件和其他类型恶意软件的目标。事实上，过时的计算机是 2017 年春季传播一种名为 WannaCry 的勒索软件的关键。

保持安全的最佳方法之一是为您的操作系统打开自动软件更新，无论您拥有 Windows 还是 Apple 计算机。

The above is the detailed content of How to Protect Files/Folders against Ransomware Attacks in Windows 10. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!