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Windows 10 Will Soon Protect Files and Folders From Ransomware (theverge.com)
Microsoft is making some interesting security-related changes to Windows 10 with the next Fall Creators Update, expected to debut in September. From a report: Windows 10 testers can now access a preview of the changes that include a new controlled folder access feature. It's designed to only allow specific apps to access and read / write to a folder. If enabled, the default list prevents apps from accessing the desktop, pictures, movies, and documents folders. "Controlled folder access monitors the changes that apps make to files in certain protected folders," explains Dona Sarkar, head of Microsoft's Windows Insiders program. "If an app attempts to make a change to these files, and the app is blacklisted by the feature, you'll get a notification about the attempt."
It should prove quite useful, especially for backups. Currently even doing a backup every day I am risking that malware will become active during the process and encrypt backups on connected external disk along with everything else. With this feature I can specify that only backup program can have access to the external drive.
will be used to block steam unless you buy windows 10 pro gamer
..the next generation of Ransomware will exploit a vulnerability in this new service to prevent YOU from accessing these folders and files.
How very convenient!
=Smidge=
And what would a sane security model look like? Ransomware runs under the credentials of the user that has executed the malware, so if the user has read/write access to files and folders, then those folders are vulnerable. It's not that much different than someone accidentally deleting a bunch of files they have access to. I suppose you could put some quantity monitoring, as in if x number of files are altered or deleted, then suspend the process that is doing the file system changes, but that would probably interfere with any program that does a lot of file system changes, like an installer.
In general, what's needed to protect data, whether it's through intentional destruction like ransomware, or through inadvertent destruction like someone deleting a file tree or a file system or physical media becoming corrupted, is backups, mirroring and the like. There's no perfect solution that's going to guarantee every file is recoverable, but what I've seen from file system or disk meltdowns is that in most cases as long as you have a good nightly backup, you're going to get most of it back.
So long as users are basically allowed to run any code they want, ransomware is going to be a reality, and even in walled gardens malware can still find a way in, so it's best to think in terms of worst case scenarios; and whenever I do it always brings me back to the old standards; frequent backups; both on and offsite.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
It's just one more slap-dash fix in a creaky operating system riddled with legacy APIs that are now being easily strangled with NSA-ware. Adding strict user space is what made XP SP2 somewhat tenable, but this is just one more embarrassing and glaring hole, and IMHO, a great reason to take a serious look at devops and agile as software development models. Windows 10 isn't new; it's the lipstick on a pig made from thousands and thousands of attempts to get it right.
I'm just entirely shocked that Microsoft's stock price hasn't cratered into the pit it deserves. Don't think that the current wave isn't the last or best; ransomware will be iteratively released until bitcoin shoots past $10,000/coin.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
I'm just entirely shocked that Microsoft's stock price hasn't cratered into the pit it deserves. Don't think that the current wave isn't the last or best; ransomware will be iteratively released until bitcoin shoots past $10,000/coin.
Because it's not really hurting Microsoft's pocket. There isn't really a legitimate alternative for windows. The general public seemed baffled by Linux (and Linux isn't getting the marketing spent to promote it). Apple is a walled garden that nobody wants.
Many business apps only run on windows. Microsoft's customers aren't going anywhere.
At least for the Apple case, you are incorrect:
In general:
http://www.vertoanalytics.com/... ...and, more specifically...
"IBM began replacing PCs with Macs in early 2015, when it began giving employees the choice to upgrade to a Mac when their company kit needed upgrading. The data speaks for itself, at IBM an astonishing 73 percent of employees will choose a Mac when they get the chance to choose for themselves"
http://www.computerworld.com/a...