# A proposal to rate-limit Windows' CreateFile API to slow ransomware

DevFeed: [A proposal to rate-limit Windows' CreateFile API to slow ransomware](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/microsoft-can-fix-ransomware-tomorrow-36888.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://shostack.org/blog/microsoft-can-fix-ransomware-tomorrow/>)

Author: Adam

Published: 2023-07-05T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Shostack & Friends Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/shostack-friends-blog.md>)

Topics: [Microsoft](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/microsoft.md>), [ransomware](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ransomware.md>), [API](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/api.md>), [Security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/security.md>), [Windows](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/windows.md>), [App](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/app.md>)

Tags: [api](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/api.md>), [microsoft](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/microsoft.md>), [ransomware](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ransomware.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>), [windows](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/windows.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that Microsoft could reduce ransomware's impact by rate-limiting Windows' CreateFile API, which ransomware uses to open files before encrypting them. The proposed limit could slow attacks and give defensive tools more time to detect them.

## Source excerpt

My latest at Dark Reading draws attention to how Microsoft can fix ransomware tomorrow.