Author Topic: Ransomeware protection and Time Machine  (Read 4533 times)

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Ransomeware protection and Time Machine
« on: September 21, 2018, 11:15:46 PM »
Thinking of upgrading to Avast Pro to get ransomeware protection for my Mac.  Does anyone know if the ransomware module in the Pro version protects (or can be set to protect) Time Machine backups?  I called Avast sales support, and even they didn't know.

Thx

Offline ondrej.kolacek

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Re: Ransomeware protection and Time Machine
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2018, 01:38:53 AM »
Hello,
ransomware protects only directories you select.
Kind regards,
Ondrej Kolacek

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Re: Ransomeware protection and Time Machine
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2018, 03:24:54 AM »
Thanks for the info.  But I already understood that the user cab specifty normal folders/directories for ransomware protection.  The Time Machine volume, however, isn't just a regular directory/folder like my Documents folder or my Home folder.  It's a mountable/unmountable volume, containing a data folder with sparsebundles inside, etc.  Bitdefender, for example, makes a big deal about how its ransomware module protects not only certain standard folders by default, or other folders that the user can specify, but also the Time Machine volume.  I'm wondering if Avast can do the same thing.

Offline ondrej.kolacek

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Re: Ransomeware protection and Time Machine
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2018, 02:28:56 PM »
Hello,

unlike most of the features our AV supports, Ransomware protection is something that is a general concept which can be implemented in many ways. Ultimately ransomware is yet another malware that our engine is supposed to detect. But unlike other malware, it purposefully destroys data the user values the most, and since it is possible, it makes sense to add a specific layer of protection of these files for the case when we fail to detect the ransomware. We have done this by limiting applications that can edit these files. While it is possible to also protect the backups of such files, and we may do so in the future (security is always a question of tradeoffs), so far we do not deem it essential.

Kind regards,
Ondrej Kolacek

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Re: Ransomeware protection and Time Machine
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2018, 07:51:08 PM »
Just to add, that the best defense against Ransomware is a backup that is NOT connected to the computer. Time Machine is still an attached volume. Either get some kind of online/cloud backup or an external drive that you can backup to and then remove from the Mac in case of ransomware infection either would provide a usable backup.

While I agree having avast shield the Time Machine volume is a great idea, I would always have another backup other than Time Machine (In my case, that is Carbonite for Mac)
"People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware." - Alan Kay