What is ransomware, and how do I protect my files from it?
Ransomware is malicious software that locks your files by scrambling them, then demands payment to unlock them. The best protection is a recent backup kept somewhere the ransomware can't reach, plus keeping Windows updated and not opening unexpected attachments or downloads.
Ransomware usually gets in through a booby-trapped email attachment, a fake download or a weak spot in out-of-date software. Once it runs, it encrypts your photos and documents so they can't be opened. Paying is risky. You may never get your files back, and the FBI and CISA advise against it.
A backup turns ransomware from a disaster into an annoyance. Keep one copy on an external drive that you unplug after each backup, or in a cloud backup that keeps older versions. Windows also has an optional feature called Controlled folder access that blocks unknown apps from changing protected folders.
- Back up your important files to an external drive and unplug it afterward
- Keep Windows, your browser and your apps updated
- In Windows Security, open Virus & threat protection, then Manage ransomware protection, to see Controlled folder access
- Don't open attachments or links you weren't expecting
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Ransomware in Plain Words
From the Backups & Bad Days course. What ransomware does, why paying is risky, and how a backup saves the day.
Try it on the practice computer Read the full lesson
The reading is free. The hands-on lab is part of Pro.