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Ransomware Shield

Three layers of live defense that stop ransomware before it can encrypt your files.

What it does

Ransomware is malicious software that locks up your personal files (photos, documents, tax returns) and demands payment to unlock them. By the time most antivirus programs notice, the damage is already done. TuneBit's Ransomware Shield runs in the background and uses three independent techniques to catch ransomware while it is happening, then kills the attacking program before much harm is done.

When to use it

Leave it enabled all the time. Protection is only effective while active.

The three protection layers

1. Software Restriction Policies (SRP)

SRP is a built-in Windows feature that blocks programs from running in folders where legitimate software rarely lives — places like your Temp folder, %AppData%, and the Recycle Bin. Ransomware almost always launches from one of these spots, so SRP stops the attack at the starting line.

Good to know: A handful of legitimate installers and updaters also run from these folders. If you see an app refuse to launch after enabling SRP, use the Manage Whitelist button to add it to the allowed list.

2. HoneyPot Sentinels

TuneBit plants tiny decoy files with tempting names (like !_passwords.docx) in folders ransomware loves to attack: Documents, Desktop, Pictures, and so on. If anything tries to modify or encrypt a decoy, TuneBit knows something is wrong and reacts in milliseconds.

You won't normally see these files — they're hidden. Don't delete them; they're your silent alarm.

3. Folder Activity Monitoring

This watches your personal folders for the tell-tale pattern of a ransomware attack: rapid, mass file renames or a sudden burst of files being rewritten. When that pattern appears, TuneBit treats the offending program as hostile.

What happens when a threat is detected

  1. The attacking process is killed (along with any child processes it spawned).
  2. Panic mode optionally terminates all non-essential running programs, freezing the attack cold.
  3. You get a loud, unmissable alert explaining what was blocked and which file or folder tripped the trap.
  4. Everything is recorded in the Shield Event Log so you can review later.

How to turn it on

  1. Click Protect → Ransomware Shield in the sidebar.
  2. Click Enable All. You'll be asked to approve a User Account Control prompt — SRP needs administrator rights to install.
  3. (Optional) Use Add Folder under Folder Activity Monitoring to watch additional folders you care about, like an external drive with family photos.
  4. Leave the window — protection keeps running in the background.
Tip: Ransomware Shield pairs especially well with Shadow Guard. If something somehow slips past the Shield, Shadow Guard ensures your Windows shadow copies (silent backups) are still intact so you can roll files back.
Important: No defense is 100%. Keep separate backups — an external drive you unplug, or a cloud backup — because the safest copy of your data is one ransomware can't reach.