Windows 10 has a built-in ransomware block, you just need to enable it

[Pluvious]

Given the current events of more than 304 million ransomware attacks last year, everyone should be awear of steps to mitigate risk. (Not all of them successfully extorted money from victims, but according to Coveware, a ransomware remediation service, the average ransomware payment grew to over $220,000 in the fourth quarter of last year.)

And ideally...
Have a good practice of backing up important files.
Use a second device ONLY for your crucial services like banking.
Use a good password manager, and maintain a disaster recovery plan.

https://www.pcgamer.com/amp/windows-10-has-a-built-in-ransomware-block-you-just-need-to-enable-it/

[634-5789]

1. Thank you for this! I'll pass it on.

[Throck]

2. Doesn't software like this require regular updates?

[Pluvious]

3. You're thinking of AV software

This option is at the OS level, preventing an exploit from modifying the file system.

Also, given that the feature is part of the Windows OS, any required updates would be automatically handled by the native update manager.

[paleotn]

6. Yes

Windows usually handles that automatically if configured for auto updates.

[lindysalsagal]

4. I'm always in catastrophe-remedy mode. But I think I stand a better chance of the

Lenovo crashing, than some malware attack.

But, yeah, always think of your machine as temporary.

[Pluvious]

7. I think of file backups same as my dentist's advice...

"Ya only need to floss the teeth you wish to keep!"

[hunter]

22. I've been living as if my machines are temporary since the 'seventies.

Weirdly its never been the sometimes sketchy credentials that fail me.

The last machine I lost was broken by an excited dog. Literally. Catahoula pit bull mix was bouncing off the walls, floor, and ceiling of my car hoping we were off to hunt some pigs. She cracked both the screen and motherboard of my laptop.

Alas, we were not to hunt pigs that day.

[Beakybird]

5. Bookmark this page!!!

[Dan]

8. Doesn't seem to be available on the Home edition.

[TomWilm]

9. If your Windows 10 does not have it yet, the possibility will soon be upgraded in

This patch is no miracle, but it might help against simpler attacks. Here is a walk-through:

- Enhance Windows 10 Ransomware Protection with Controlled Folder Access:
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/enhance-windows-10-security-controlled-folder-access/

[JohnnyRingo]

10. It seems to insist I set up One Drive

I'm not even sure what that is, but if it changes the way I surf, browse folders & files, and open files & programs, I don't want to activate it.

Does anyone else use One Drive?

[tishaLA]

13. I kinda use it, but only for redundancy

It's cloud storage like Google Drive and you can make it so that your computer doesn't save things to it

[dalton99a]

15. Few people use it. You can get rid of it

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0

[onlyadream]

17. I would be in a bad spot if I didn't use One Drive

All it is is a server that saves all your files in the cloud. So when my PC died on me, I bought a new one, and all my files were right where I put them on One drive. I’m self employed (software and books) so my files are my life’s work.

I also sync to it with my iPhone, so all pics I take will get stored on the One Drive as well, so I can free up space on my phone.

One Drive also has a roll back feature, so if you screw up a file you can go back to a certain date.

And I think it’s free...

[JohnnyRingo]

26. It is free for a certain data limit.

Maybe I'll try it then, but I'm not sure keeping my files in a MS cloud protects my files from hackers.
It would make for a smooth recovery of at least my most important files.

Thanx!

[MoriaeEncomium]

11. Gave up on Windoze for any secure web activity.

Using Linux for all my online activity. Not to brag or disrespecting the OP in any way, just what works for me.

Had my share of "issues" with M$ and all the horrible crap we read about and experience with their monopolized
piece of crap OS.

So I took a chance and tried a side by side install of Windoze and Ubuntu Linux.
The first thing I noticed was the speed . . .Wow!

It's not totally secure, (NO operating system can be) but I have experienced ZERO unrecoverable errors or crashes
with Linux in the past ten or so years of using it online. I use Mozilla as a browser. I can still boot to a stable version of
Windoze when I use M$ compatible programs and have had no problems with the Windoze install which still boots
quickly and has not slowed down at all. As long as Windoze is not allowed to connect to the internet, it remains fast and stable.
I use CPU/RAM intensive graphics, video and music production software which requires a fast, stable OS to avoid errors.
Got so sick of M$ updates, upgrades, lost work, missed deadlines, resource hogging, telemetry, re-installs and drive thrashing.

I got the ransomware screen once about 3 years ago and all I had to do was a hard shutdown and reboot.
Boom! fixed. 10 year old machine still works fine. No data lost.

Boy did I give Mr Wannacry Ransomware negotiator the berries on my burner phone afterwards.

They changed the 800 number the same day.

Just my fitty cents.


https://itvision.altervista.org/why-windows-10-sucks.html

[USALiberal]

12. Always someone whining about windows.....

Windoze? Lol, read their market share!

[mac2766]

29. Certainly...

Last edited Tue May 18, 2021, 08:14 PM - Edit history (1)

Android (and its Linux kernel) wins. By a mile. Not even a contest actually. Can't leave MacOS and iOS (and their Linux kernels) out either. If all devices around the world are taken into consideration, MS Windows is a minor player in the game.

To each their own though. Just having a bit of fun at your expense. No disrespect.

[yonder]

14. I've been thinking about making the Linux plunge more and more.

Last edited Tue May 18, 2021, 03:31 PM - Edit history (1)

And welcome to DU.

Edit: interesting reading at link

[mac2766]

24. It was a good move for me.

There is a learning curve, but it's not as bad as you might think. Google is a good tool when it comes to learning the OS.

[yonder]

25. Yeah thanks. After reading the link, if may be sooner than later.

[mac2766]

28. And it's free.

Not to mention, Ubuntu developers are always updating software.

[48656c6c6f20]

16. 1990 called and they want their fanboy terms back.

[USALiberal]

20. Lol! Nt

[mac2766]

23. I switched to Ubuntu when

I was asked to pay for a new license for Vista. I simply wanted to install it onto my new machine. The old one when caput and the version that I had purchased was a full copy - not an OEM.

I've been on Ubuntu for about 15 years. I won't go back to Windows as long as there is a Linux option available.

I use the Brave browser along with Duckduckgo. I use my machines for Internet, music recording, graphics, office type things. Although I'm sure there are some things that a user would find themselves unable to use a Linux machine for - vs. Windows - I haven't found one thing that I can't use my computer for that I'd like to.

As for viruses.... I have to clean my wife's Windows 10 computer every so often. I've never had to clean my Linux machine of any malicious software. I'll never say never though. There are some devious people out there.

I worked in the IT field for over 20 years in several positions. I would say that I am a fairly adept computer user. I'm sure that there would be a pretty steep learning curve for people moving from MS to Linux, but they had to learn Windows, so if a person wanted to make the leap, I'm sure they would be able to.

Anyway. Ubuntu (Linux) rules.

[mac2766]

27. All of my storage is on an external mirror set.

The OS is on the internal drive. Like you, if I need to re-install the OS, I simply wipe the drive and re-install the OS and applications. The external drive mounts afterward, and away I go.

Of course, my personal computers don't house critical data that a hostile nation might find useful.

[bucolic_frolic]

18. I lived through Vista and a couple Linux boot failures

They were an inconvenience. Vista in particular. They kept reminding you were vulnerable after support failed. What they didn't tell you was every website in the world was working to move to the next compatibility and Vista simply stopped working on many sites. And the advisory date was fluid, some early, some 3 months later.

So now I keep a backup hard drive, and can write off an Ubuntu if need be. And I realize a household with 2-3 computers is prepared, and has more capability. There's the issue of legacy PCs with optical drives, and modern ones with SSD. We're saving electricity with 6W CPUs, but pay for streamed movies instead of DVD hard copies.

My original laptop is on its second DVD drive and second hard drive. The original hard drive logged about 48,000 hours as far as I can estimate, though the original owner may have not used it as much but wore the DVD to shreds instead.

[onecaliberal]

19. Visalia Unified announced this morning that a Ransomware attack took their systems offline.

[littlemissmartypants]

21. Would be a good cross post...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1095

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