Ransomware is a huge concern lately. From the May 2017 global ransomware attack to small hits on individual PCs, ransomware can lock all your precious data in an instant.

Thankfully, as long as you haven't been hit yet, you have many ways to protect your data from ransomware. One of these is a new feature built into Windows Defender on Windows 10. Here's how to use it.

How to Prevent Ransomware With Windows Defender

  1. Open the Settings app on Windows 10 and select the Update & Security entry.
  2. Select the Windows Defender tab on the left and click Open Windows Defender Security Center.
  3. In the Security Center, select Virus & threat protection.
  4. On the resulting page, choose Virus & threat protection settings.
  5. Scroll down to Controlled folder access and toggle the slider on. Doing so will generate a list of protected folders. Only apps that are confirmed as safe can made changes to these folders.
  6. Click Protected folders to review the default folders (which you can't remove) or Add a protected folder if you wish.
  7. If Defender blocks an app that you trust, select Allow an app through Controlled Folder access. Specify the program's location, and you won't see warnings about it anymore.

Once you've enabled this feature, untrusted apps can't make changes to the listed folders. You'll see a notification when Windows Defender blocks access. While you may have some false positives at first, this is another layer of safety that prevents ransomware from locking your files.

It's free and easy to use, so why not give it a try?

Of course, you shouldn't rely on just one tool to protect you from ransomware. Check out other great tools to beat ransomware, and remember that having a regular backup is your best defense.