Multifaceted Ransomware Protection

Your antivirus should be able to fend off any known malware, and behavior-based detection can foil some unknowns. But for every new malware attack there’s a Patient Zero, the victim that gets hit before any other. Antivirus may not catch that Zero day Exploit. Sure, an antivirus update will probably wipe out the attacker before too long. But if ransomware was involved, that still leaves your files hopelessly encrypted.

Because failing to prevent a ransomware attack is so serious, many antivirus companies have started adding protective layers focused solely on ransomware protection. Some defend your files against all unauthorized changes. Others watch for behaviors that suggest encrypting ransomware. Still others maintain encrypted backups of your most important files, for recovery after clearing up a ransomware threat. Trend Micro does a little of each.

You may remember that Trend Micro offered to enable Folder Shield during installation. If you skipped it then, be sure to turn it on later—reach it by clicking the Data icon on the main window.

Folder Shield prevents unauthorized programs from making any changes to your protected files. By default, it protects your Documents, and Pictures folders—you're free to add Desktop or other folders that are important to you. Trend Micro also protects files on USB drives, at least, while they're mounted, and files in your OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox folders (if present).

Folder Shield can't directly access folders belonging to accounts other than the one that's logged in, so each user account needs to set up Folder Shield separately. Once they’ve done so, you can see (but not change) settings for other users.