In a white paper “Next-gen ransomware protection with Windows 10 Creators Update” that provides a deeper level of the technical details on the ransomware protection in Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft claims that
By allowing only verified apps to run, Windows 10 S protects devices against malware,
ransomware, and other similar attacks.
According to Microsoft, no known ransomware works against Windows 10 S yet. What’s more, no Windows 10 customers were known to be compromised by the recent WannaCry global attack. The majority of the victims of the WannaCry attack are those running Windows 7.
So what are the security features in the latest Windows 10 system to make Windows 10 stand tall against these nasty ransomware attacks?
This white paper outlines how Windows 10 Creators Update, combined with the latest version of Windows Defender AV, extensive cloud built with human intelligence, rich machine learning, and next-gen endpoint protection provides the best in-depth protection against ransomware.
It comes down to three layers of defense on Windows 10 computers, protections off the machine, pre-breach, and post-breach.
Off-machine protections include features such as Office 365’s advanced sandbox detonation service and Edge browser’s reputation-based blocking for downloads and app container hardening.
Pre-Breach protection includes Windows Defender, Device Guard, and Anti-malware Scan interface.
Post-Breach protection, mostly for enterprises, includes the Windows Defender AV behavioral engine, and Windows Defender ATP, which offer security operations a range of tools to identify, block and isolate malware before it becomes a major outbreak.
Microsoft also recommends,
- Implement robust software update deployment technologies. If you don’t have Windows Defender ATP already, we encourage you to sign up for a free trial. Details can be found at the Windows Defender ATP trial sign-up page.
- Educate users on email, browser and social-engineering-based attacks.
- Ensure anti-malware software is up to date.
- Back up all critical data to the cloud.
Seeing how well Windows 10 has protected end users from destructive attacks like ransomware, the first step you should take is to upgrade your current system to Windows 10. Besides, it’s still free if you have a legitimate Windows 7 or 8 license.