Microsoft unveils specialized anti-ransomware tool for next update

Microsoft announced a new feature dedicated to fending off ransomware via its Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16232 on Wednesday. The newly revealed tool, known as Controlled Folder Access, is designed to assist the user in data protection from a variety of different computer viruses, especially ransomware, said Dona Sarkar, head of Microsoft’s Windows Insiders program. Ransomware is malware that is typically designed to lock up a computer’s files until a payment is sent to a specific source. In most cases, this payment comes in the form of the cryptocurrency bitcoin, and it is sent to a bitcoin wallet address. Current private sector estimates for total ransomware losses in 2016 alone exceeded $100 million. Once a user activates the Controlled Folder Access feature in the Windows Defender Security Center interface, an automated tool will begin monitoring files within certain protected folders. The user can manually whitelist trusted applications to edit these files autonomously. […]

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