Windows Help & Advice - UK (2020-05)

Windows 10

Lock down your PC

May 2020 | |^19

1
Protectedfolders
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programandselectProtectionfrom
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thentickthefolder(s)youwantto
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Whitelistapps

Bitdefenderallowscertain

knowntrustedprogramslikeMicrosoft

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automaticallyblockunknownapps.

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attemptingtolaunchorusethe

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popsup.

3

Trusted apps

Click ‘View details’ to investigate

the app in question – its name and

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here, you can also manually add trusted

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the list’ link.

earlier, pre-infected versions. If the
feature doesn’t appear automatically,
click the OneDrive settings button and
choose Options, then select ‘Restore
your OneDrive’. After verifying your
identity, you’ll be able to quickly roll
back a set amount of time from the
drop-down menu or choose ‘Custom
date and time’ to review changes on a
timeline and pinpoint the best moment
to roll back to.
If you’ve no backup, or you’re looking
for a quicker fix, then you’ll need to see
if there’s a decryption tool for the
specific ransomware infection. Your
security tool has hopefully identified
the ransomware type, so visit http://www.
nomoreransom.org/en/decryption-tools.
html for a comprehensive list of types,
tools from reputable antivirus vendors
and a guide to using them.
Be careful that you’ve got the right
tool,otherwiseyouriskscramblingthe
filesbeyondanyattemptatrecovery

• thankfully,somevendorslikeTrend
  Micro’sRansomwareFileDecryptortool

combineallitsknownransomware
decryptiontoolsinsidea single
program.Althoughyou’reaskedto
selecttheransomwaretype,there’sa
handy‘I don’tknowtheransomware
name’link– clickthisandyou’llbe
promptedtoselectoneofyour
infectedfiles.Theappwiththen
analyseit torevealwhatransomwareis
behindit (andmoreimportantlyhelp
yourestoreyourfiles).

Proactiveprotection
Checktoseeif yourcurrentsecuritytool
offersprotectionagainstransomware.

Mostfreetools– includingMicrosoft

Security– havemeasurestoblock

knownransomware,butif youwantto

gofurtherandtakeproactivemeasures,

you’llneedthird-partysoftware.

Mostpaid-forappsofferadditional

protections– forexample,Bitdefender

2020 (www.bitdefender.co.uk)offers

severaltools,includinga Ransomware

Remediationtoolthat’sdesignedto

blockransomwarebyfirstblocking

applicationsexhibitingsuspicious

behaviourbeforebackinguptargeted

filesbeforetheycanbeencrypted;

thesearethenrestoredif necessary.

Bitdefender also offers a related tool

calledSafe Files. To see how it works

toblockunknown applications from

accessing(and potentially encrypting)

yourfiles,check out the step-by-step

guidebelow.

If yourbudget is tight, then free

add-onprotection is available too.

KasperskyFree Anti-Ransomware (www.

kaspersky.com/anti-ransomware-tool)

monitorsfor suspicious activity that

mightbesymptomatic of a ransomware

attack,blocking suspicious apps until

youcanreview them (trusted apps can

thenbewhitelisted via Manage Apps on

themainmenu). It’ll also protect

networkshares if it detects a remote

machine’sattempt to encrypt its

contents.You can safely install it

alongsideexisting anti-malware tools. Q

Protect vulnerable folders with Bitdefender

“Be careful to get the right tool, or you

risk scrambling files beyond recovery”

Trend’s Ransomware Decryptor Tool is one of several capable

of recovering data after the infection has been removed.