Best Strategies to Protect Your PC from Ransomware in Windows 11

Adding an App to the Exclusion List

Adding an app to the list of exceptions within Controlled Folder Access is critical to ensuring that legitimate apps can function properly without a hitch.

Some applications, especially older software or games, may require access to write files to a protected folder, such as Documents. If an app doesn’t have this permission, it can encounter errors or even fail to function altogether.

Here are the steps to add an app to the exclusion list in Windows 11:

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Select Virus & threat protection.
3. Under Ransomware protection, click Manage ransomware protection.
4. Click on Allow an app through controlled folder access.
5. Select the app you want to allow from the list of installed apps or click Browse to navigate to the location of the app that is not in the list.
6. After selecting the app, click Add to add it to the exclusion list.

How to Access Controlled Folder Access Settings via Group Policy

Controlled Folder Access settings can be accessed and managed through Group Policy in Windows 11. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open Local Group Policy Editor.
3. Navigate to the following path:

Computer Configuration ➤ Administrative Templates ➤ Windows Components ➤ Microsoft Defender Antivirus ➤ Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard ➤ Controlled Folder Access.

4. Here, you can enable or disable Controlled Folder Access, as well as configure protected folders and add apps that are allowed to access them.

Using PowerShell to Manage Access Controlled Folder Security Settings

You can also use PowerShell to manage security settings, including Controlled Folder Access. Here are the basic steps to do so:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator by searching for “PowerShell” in the Start menu, then right-click and select “Run as administrator”.
2. To enable Controlled Folder Access, use the following command:

Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Enabled

3. To disable it, use the command:

Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Disabled

4. To add an app to the exclusion list, use the following command (replace C:\Path\To\App.exe with the appropriate app path:

Add-MpPreference -ControlledFolderAccessAllowedApplications “C:\Path\To\App.exe”

Conclusion

Here’s a summary of the key steps to protect your PC from ransomware attacks using Windows 11 security features:

1. Enable Tamper Protection to prevent unauthorized changes to security settings by malicious software.
2. Enable and customize Controlled Folder Access to protect important folders like Documents, Pictures, and Music from unauthorized access.
3. Add apps that require access to protected folders to the exclusion list to ensure legitimate apps can function properly.
4. Manage security settings through Group Policy and PowerShell to configure protection as needed.