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Protect your data from Ransomware threats

Applicable for: Windows

Ransomware Protection helps secure your personal photos, documents, and other files from being modified, deleted, or encrypted by ransomware attacks. This feature scans for folders containing personal data and automatically secures them. It also lets you specify other folders you want to protect from ransomware attacks. Additionally, you can specify which applications are allowed to modify the files in your protected folders and which applications are always blocked.

We recommend that you keep this feature turned on at all times.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that locks you out of your important files or your computer and blackmails you for a ransom to avoid misuse or deletion of data. Your data is encrypted, and you can't retrieve it unless a ransom is paid. There is no guarantee that you will regain access when you pay the ransom.

Learn more about ransomware attacks

By default, Ransomware Protection secures folders where you store personal data, such as the Documents, Pictures, and Videos folders. However, you can add other folders that you want to protect.

Add a folder to Ransomware Protection

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

  2. On the left pane, click Security.

  3. Navigate to Advanced Security > Computer > Ransomware Protection.

  4. In the Ransomware Protection window, in the Protected folders tab, click + Add.

  5. Navigate and select a folder and click OK.

Add a file type to Ransomware Protection

By default, your Norton product helps protect common file types from ransomware attacks. However, you can add file extensions not part of the protected list.

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

  2. On the left pane, click Security.

  3. Navigate to Advanced Security > Computer > Ransomware Protection.

  4. In the Ransomware Protection window, click the Protected file types tab.

  5. Click + Add.

  6. In the Add protected file type window, type the extension of the file type and click Add.

  7. The file types that you manually add appear in the Custom file type.

Remove a folder from Ransomware Protection

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

  2. On the left pane, click Security.

  3. Navigate to Advanced Security > Computer > Ransomware Protection.

  4. In the Ransomware Protection window, in the Protected folders tab, click + Add.

  5. Click the X icon next to the protected folder you want to remove protection.

    You can also select the checkbox next to the folder and click Stop Protecting.

  6. In the confirmation window, click Stop Protecting.

  7. To remove a file type, go to the Protected file types tab and click the X icon next to the file type you want to remove.

Allow or block programs from modifying files in protected folders

Your Norton product alerts you when it detects a program with suspicious behavior. You can act on such programs by adding them to App permissions list and blocking them from accessing your protected data.

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

  2. On the left pane, click Security.

  3. Navigate to Advanced Security > Computer > Ransomware Protection.

  4. In the Ransomware Protection window, click the App permissions tab.

  5. Click Add Application/+ Add.

  6. In the Which apps do you want to add? window, click Add next to the program that you want to add.

    If the program is not listed, use the Manually Select App option to navigate and select the program.

  7. Repeat Steps 5-6 for each program that you want to add.

    For each added program, Norton blocks the program from accessing the protected files and file types.

    If you are sure the program is safe, you can change the state from Blocked to Allowed. Your Norton product does not notify you if any Allowed program accesses the protected folders.

If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a program that Norton detects as a potential ransomware, we recommend that you uninstall the program.

Need more help?

DocID: v20240108180700538
Last modified: 04/24/2025

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