PC security is essential in today’s digital age, especially due to the rise of cyber threats such as ransomware. Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts user data and demands a ransom to return it. These attacks can cause significant financial losses and loss of valuable data for individuals and companies.
Windows 11 provides effective protection features against these threats. One of the key features is Controlled Folder Access, designed to prevent unauthorized software from altering files in important folders such as Documents, Images, and Music. This feature needs to be manually enabled by administrators and can help maintain the integrity of user data by blocking unauthorized access.
By understanding the importance of PC security and how to protect it using Windows 11 features, users can take proactive steps to protect their data from ransomware attacks.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to lock or encrypt data on a user’s computer so that they cannot access their important files. Once the data is locked, the cybercriminals will demand a ransom, usually in the form of cryptocurrency, to provide the decryption key necessary to restore access to the data.
Some of the well-known ransomware attacks include:
- WannaCry: This attack occurred in 2017 and spread rapidly through a vulnerability in the Windows operating system. WannaCry encrypts user data and demands a ransom in Bitcoin, affecting hundreds of thousands of computers around the world.
- NotPetya: Emerging in 2017, NotPetya was initially targeted at companies in Ukraine but quickly spread globally. These attacks caused massive damage to IT infrastructure and resulted in significant financial losses.
- Ryuk: Known for targeting large organizations, Ryuk is often used in more targeted and dangerous attacks. These attacks typically involve the spread of malware through phishing emails.
Windows 11 Security Features
Windows 11 comes with a variety of security features designed to protect users from cyber threats. Some of the key features include:
- Windows Defender Antivirus: A built-in antivirus program that provides real-time protection against malware and viruses.
- Controlled Folder Access: A feature that prevents unauthorized software from accessing important folders on your computer, such as Documents and Images.
- Tamper Protection: Prevents unauthorized changes to security settings by malicious software.
- Firewall Windows: Controls network traffic to protect devices from external attacks.
- BitLocker: An encryption feature that protects data on the hard drive from being accessed without permission.
The Importance of Enabling Tamper Protection
Tamper Protection is an important feature that must be enabled to keep security settings intact. Although PC administrators can make changes, this feature prevents malicious software from changing the security settings in Windows Security Center. By enabling Tamper Protection, users can ensure that their security settings will not be modified without permission, which is crucial in preventing cyberattacks.
The Tamper Protection feature works by monitoring and restricting access to security settings. When enabled, any attempts to change security settings by both malicious apps and by other users will be blocked. This provides an additional layer of protection by ensuring that only users with the right access rights can make changes to those settings.
As such, Tamper Protection serves as a deterrent against unauthorized modifications, maintaining system integrity and providing peace of mind for users that their security settings remain safe from outside threats.
Using Controlled Folder Access
Controlled Folder Access is a security feature in Windows 11 that prevents unauthorized software from accessing important folders such as Documents, Pictures, and Music. This feature is designed to protect user data from threats such as ransomware that seek to encrypt these files.
Controlled Folder Access works by blocking unregistered apps from making changes to protected folders. This prevents ransomware and other malware from encrypting or deleting users’ important files. The main benefit is that it provides an additional layer of protection to maintain data integrity.
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How to Enable and Adjust Controlled Folder Access Settings
Controlled Folder Access is disabled by default and needs to be enabled manually by an administrator. Here are the steps:
- Open Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Under Ransomware protection, click Manage ransomware protection.
- Enable Controlled folder access.
After you turn on Controlled Folder Access, you can adjust the settings:
- Click Protected folders to add or remove protected folders.
- You can also add the entire drive into the protection.
- If an app requires access to a protected folder, add it to the exclusion list.
