security: Case study: How predictive shielding in Defender stopped GPO-based ransomware before it started

· Sujith Quintelier · March 23, 2026, 5:37 p.m.
Summary
This blog post discusses how Microsoft Defender utilized predictive shielding to prevent a ransomware attack that aimed to disable defenses through Group Policy Objects (GPOs). The case highlights the effectiveness of proactive measures in cybersecurity, noting that 700 devices were hardened in time to block encryption attempts and minimize the attack's impact.
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