Free AI-Based Ransomware Protection From Acronis

Acronis International GmbH released Ransomware Protection, a free, stand-alone version of its AI-based company’s Active Protection technology, which stops ransomware attacks in real-time and helps users to recover data without paying the ransom.

Recent ransomware attacks exposed the vulnerability of endpoint devices, showing that new strains of ransomware can bypass traditional anti-virus software to encrypt user data.

Ransomware Protection provides an additional level of defense that can be used together with other data protection solutions already installed on the device, such as anti-virus and backup software. It monitors system processes in real-time to automatically detect and stop the attacks other solutions can’t. In event of a ransomware attack, Ransomware Protection blocks the malicious process and notifies the user with a popup. If any files were damaged in the attack, it facilitates the instant recovery of those affected files.

Ransomware Protection also comes with a cloud backup capability, allowing users to protect important files not only from ransomware, but also from hardware failure, natural disasters and other causes of data loss. Every user receives 5GB of free company’s cloud storage.

Easy to install, Ransomware Protection is essentially a ‘set it and forget it’ protection solution. The lightweight program (20MB) requires limited system resources, which means it can run quietly in the background without affecting system performance. It is also compatible with all popular backup and anti-virus programs, enabling users to add a robust layer of protection without modifying their existing setup.

Silent killer
Ransomware remains a silent destroyer of data for users worldwide. According to a ransomware survey conducted by the company earlier this month, 43.9% of UK respondents still don’t know that ransomware can wipe their files and disable their computer. Only 16% of the respondents heard about the WannaCry or NotPetya attacks last year, and 33.8% report that they don’t know how to protect their data or choose to do nothing. These findings demonstrate a need for an easy, universal ransomware protection solution, and 61% of the survey respondents said that they would use one if it was free.

Proven technology
This solution is based on the firm’s Active Protection, which numerous independent tests have ranked an effective and reliable ransomware protection technologyt. The firm stops thousands of attacks every month, saving people’s precious family photos, videos, and important documents. There are many ways to test the effectiveness of the free Ransomware Protection solution, including the ransomware simulator from RanSim.

Built on that battle-tested technology, Ransomware Protection uses behavioural heuristics enhanced by machine learning (ML) models, which are generated by analysing hundreds of thousands of malicious and legitimate processes in Acronis’ dedicated Cloud AI infrastructure. Those models are incorporated directly into the Ransomware Protection product, so it protects a system’s data independently, without the need for an Internet connection. This AI-based functionality is effective at defeating all ransomware strains, including zero-day attacks that signature-based solutions cannot detect.

“Acronis is deeply concerned by what the explosion of ransomware means to businesses and consumers worldwide,” said Serguei Beloussov, co-founder and CEO, Acronis. “Our mission is data protection and ransomware puts everyone’s data at risk. With Acronis Ransomware Protection, we’re making ransomware a less viable tool for criminals, and protecting the data of individuals, families, and businesses.“

How to get Active Protection
Anyone looking to download the free version of the company’s Active Protection. It’s currently available for Windows only.