Malwarebytes launches Anti-Ransomware beta

Security specialist Malwarebytes has announce the launch of a new software package designed to stem the rising tide of ransomware, unsurprisingly dubbed Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware.

Ransomware attacks, where malware infests a system and encrypts the files contained therein before demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key, are not new, but they are becoming increasingly prevalent. Recently we've also seen more targeted ransomware attacks, such as the Synology-specific SynoLocker and the gamer-centric TeslaCrypt. Malwarebytes, though, has had enough - and its latest release is designed to stem the tide.

'Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware monitors all activity in the computer and identifies actions which are typical of ransomware activity. It keeps track of all activity and, once it has enough evidence to determine a certain process or thread to be ransomware, blocks the infection and quarantines the ransomware before it has a chance to encrypt users' files,' explained the company's vice president of technology Pedro Bustamante of the company's new software. 'During development Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware has blocked every single ransomware variant we have thrown at it. We are extremely satisfied with its results and are excited to bring this technology to our user community for further testing.'

The company first announced the project in March last year, but has only now released a public beta build for free download. Naturally, given it's a beta, there are some bugs - but the company is confident it protects against all known Windows ransomware, and that it won't conflict with any existing anti-virus or anti-malware packages.