Microsoft adds ransomware protections to make OneDrive and Outlook.com safer
Apr 11, 2018But ransomware can also spread to your files stored in the cloud—and that’s what Microsoft’s new OneDrive protections are designed to address.On Thursday Microsoft announced the ability to “roll back” the files stored in OneDrive to versions stored up to a month ago, to help you return to a point before you were infected by malware. The company also said it will use its automated threat-detection systems to figure out when the ransomware began infecting those files and alert you via your phone that an infection has taken place.Microsoft announced additional protections for sharing and reading files stored on OneDrive and emailed via Outlook.com, the web-based version of Outlook—including encrypted email. The catch? You’ll have to subscribe to Office 365, Microsoft’s subscription service that also includes access to PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and the other Office apps. The Outlook protections aren't yet available to the Office 365 version of Outlook.[ Further reading: How to remove malware from your Windows PC ]"With the growing presence and sophistication of online threats like viruses, ransomware, and phishing scams, it’s increasingly important to have the right protection and tools to help protect your devices, personal information, and files from being compromised,” Kirk Koenigsbauer, the corporate vice president for Office, wrote in a blog post. MicrosoftWhat this means for you: Though smart surfing and other good Internet practices are your first defense against malware, including ransomware, it does happen. And if ransomware infects your PC, it tries to infect other PCs on your network, including persistent connections to cloud storage. Erasing all of your files and refreshing your PC would be an appealing solution—if it didn’t mean losing all of your files. Microsoft is pitching OneDrive as a solution: Upload all of your critical files now, before your PC is infected. Even if the OneDrive stash becomes infected, you’ll be able to access an older, uninfected version.Cloud protections in placeWhat... (PCWorld)
