Ransomware has fast become the #1 threat to our data-and, arguably, our lives. The recent WannaCry ransomware outbreak made that painfully clear after infecting England’s National Health Service. Within hours WannaCry had locked patient records, severed medical equipment connections, and forced some ambulances to be diverted to neighboring hospitals.
Enough is enough:
No one should ever have to pay to recover a lifetime of personal photos. And no doctor should have to pay to keep their patients safe. So we’ve decided to strike back at ransomware - hard.
Avg has always provided basic ransomware protection via automatic virus database updates and real-time monitoring of suspicious activity. But the growing frequency of these attacks have made us realize that we need a more drastic approach, and so Ransomware Protection was born.
How Ransomware Protection works:
Offered as another layer of ransomware security to our premium users, our Ransomware Protection feature completely walls off files in your personal folders from ransomware attack. In fact, it blocks all forms of malware - and even untrusted applications - from modifying or deleting your protected files.
Simply put: We automatically allow trusted apps (those with known trusted digital signatures like Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Word, etc.) to access your protected files, and we immediately block anything suspicious. (But don’t worry, you can always whitelist unknown apps you trust.)
With Ransomware Shield, you can:
1. Secure personal photos & files: We protect files within your most vulnerable folders (Documents and Pictures) by default, but you can add other folders to your Protected Folders list at any time.
2. Customize your protection: Our default “Smart Mode” automatically allows trusted apps to access your files, while blocking everything else. “Strict Mode”, on the other hand, blocks absolutely everything. You can even manually blacklist or whitelist specific apps.
3. Protect your pocketbook: Hackers often demand hundreds of dollars to unlock your files. Ransomware Protection helps ensure that you never have to pay to open what’s rightfully yours.
How to get it:
If you’re already an Avg Internet Security user, you’ll have received the Ransomware Protection feature as an automatic update. If you don’t yet have Internet Security, you can try it for free here or purchase it now (20% discount available).