AppCheck Anti-Ransomware review

[tarekma7]

AppCheck Anti-Ransomware by Checkmal is a complementary security solution for devices running Windows designed specifically to protect the device it is running on against ransomware attacks and exploits.

Ransomware attacks come in many different forms but the bulk of them holds files on the local system ransom by encrypting them. Affected users are asked to pay a specific sum, usually in Bitcoin, to purchase the encryption password that allows them to decrypt the data.

While you may get the encryption key when you pay, there is no guarantee that this is indeed the case.

Users and administrators can protect data in several ways; regular external backups are a must, as is the use of common sense to avoid the bulk of attacks. Anti-Ransomware software runs side by side with other security solutions, usually.

AppCheck Anti-Ransomware by Korean developer Checkmal is another program that you can run on your Windows systems to protect it against forms of ransomware and exploits. The program is fully compatible with all recent 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the operating system, and available as a free and pro version.

The free version is good for home use, the pro version may be used in corporate environments as well. Good news is: the core features, that is ransomware protection and exploit protection, are supported by both versions.

Program installation is straightforward; you get to select the installation directory but that is about it as no other options are provided. You can run the program right after installation to launch the control interface.

AppCheck Anti-Ransomware works automatically after installation but you may want to check out the interface and settings on first start to make sure everything is configured correctly.

The main interface displays toggles to turn protective features on or off. Three protections are enabled in the free version, real-time protection, exploit protection, and MBR protection are enabled but network drive protection is not. The latter is one of the Pro version features that the free version lacks.

The options

A click on the cogwheel icon in the interface opens the program options. The options are divided into tabs for easier access. Here is a quick overview of the preferences of the program:

General: disable anonymous submission of files for analysis and auto-update.
Ransom Guard:  change ransomware protection and detection functionality, e.g. for how long important files are kept in the "Ransom Shelter", a safe space to protect files.
Exploit Guard: toggle the feature and select which applications it should protect (web browsers, plugins, media players)
Cleaner: customize the built-in cleaner functionality
Auto Backup: is a Pro feature. May be used to create automatic backups of selected folders.
Whitelist: exclude files so that they may be run on the system.

Protection

The developer states that AppCheck Anti-Ransomware protects against more than 800 different types of ransomware using the built-in behavior engine.

The program monitors the system while running and reacts to threats it identifies immediately.

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