One of the worst security threats we can suffer is ransomware. Hackers use this type of malware to encrypt files and even the system and make it impossible for us to use it normally. To regain control, they will require a financial ransom, a payment, and thus decipher the files. It is important to be protected against this problem and take action. In this article we are going to talk about how to activate the Windows ransomware protection.

What is protection against Windows ransomware

Windows has different options for improve security and avoid attacks. It has Microsoft Defender, which is its integrated antivirus, as well as a firewall that is also included with the latest versions. But it also has some characteristics that we can activate or not and one of them is protection against ransomware.

The objective of this function is protect system folders to prevent an attacker from encrypting it in case of straining any ransomware. By enabling this feature we will be adding an extra layer of security. This will allow the most important files to not end up encrypted.

In the event of a problem, we will have an easier time restoring those documents. Ransomware can prevent us from having normal access to folders where we may have important files stored and that can be a serious problem for both companies and organizations as well as home users.

What this feature does is prevent an attacker from maliciously making unauthorized changes. For example, since this is the case with ransomware, you could not encrypt the files with a password.

How to activate it in Windows 11

You can activate this Windows anti-ransomware function in a very simple way. To do this you have to follow the steps that we are going to mention and from there you can better protect some folders on the system and thus prevent an attacker from encrypting the files and force you to pay a financial ransom to get them back.

The first thing you have to do is go to Home, you are looking Windows security and you open it. There you will find different options and the one that interests you is the Anti-Virus and Threat Protection. You click and a new window will open where some functions and parameters that you will be able to modify will appear. You have to go down to the option of Ransomware protection, which you will see at the bottom.

You will see that by default the box is unchecked Windows ransomware protection. You just have to give it to enable. A pop-up window will appear with a message that you have to accept for changes to be made correctly and configured.

When you do this you will see three options appear below. You will see the option of Lock History, Protected Folders and Allow an application to access one of the controlled folders. The one that interests you the most is the one of Protected folders. If you click there, those that are protected by default will appear, which are some of the most used in the system and, therefore, those that can attack cybercriminals the most.

However, you can add any folder that interests you. To do this you just have to click on the option above Add a protected folder. Windows Explorer will open and you just have to select the corresponding path and it will be added to that list.

You will also see the option to Allow an application to access one of the controlled folders. If you click there you can select a program to which you are going to grant special permissions.

Steps to enable it in Windows 10

If you use Windows 10, the immediately previous version, you will also be able to configure the protection against ransomware. The steps to follow are similar and you can protect your folders so that cybercriminals have a harder time infecting the system and then ask you for money to retrieve the documents.

In this case you have to go to Home, you go to Configuration, you enter Update and security and there you access Windows Security. You can also search directly Windows security and access from Start. There you will see different options on the screen that opens and you can manage the protection of the Microsoft system.

When you are in that section you have to click on Protection against viruses and threats. Of all the options that will appear you have to click on Manage protection against ransomware.

By default you will see that this feature is disabled, but you can easily activate it. Just click the button to enable it. A message will appear to confirm the permissions and you will have to accept it. From that moment the function will be enabled.

From there you can add allowed applications, if you want them to have access to protected folders. Also, when you give this option you will have to confirm the changes. You will also be able to see the blocking history at all times, to have a better understanding.

Additional tips to avoid ransomware

Activate protection anti Windows ransomware does not mean that we are already protected. It is simply one more function that will help improve security, but other factors come into play that you should be aware of. So we are going to give some additional advice to be protected from this type of threat.

Avoid mistakes

The main thing is to avoid making security mistakes. It is essential to maintain the common sense, since hackers are always going to need us to make a mistake. For example, they may need us to click on a malicious link, download a file, or install something.

Therefore, always avoid making mistakes of this type. Keep common sense and that will help you not only to be protected from ransomware, but also to avoid many of the security threats that can come through the network and affect your devices, either with Windows or with another system.

Have everything updated

Of course, another very important point is to have everything updated correctly. There are many vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage of. There could be system failures that they are going to use to strain some kind of virus or get to control the functions and act as if they were the legitimate user.

In the case of Windows, to update it you have to go to Start, you enter Configuration and you will Windows Update. It will automatically start searching for new versions and, if any, install them. You should review this periodically to avoid security problems.

Good security programs

On the other hand, beyond activating or not Windows' anti-ransomware protection, you must have a good security program. Microsoft Defender itself is a good solution, but you will find many more available online, such as Avast or Bitdefender. All of them will help you improve protection.

You will find both free and paid options. It is important that you inform yourself well before installing any security tool, since it is useless to add one that really will not protect you correctly.

In short, as you can see you have the option to enable the function against ransomware in both Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is important to be protected and improve security. But you will also have to take other additional measures to really be fully protected.