Deploying Ransomware Canary Files

When to Use

• Deploying proactive ransomware detection on file servers, NAS devices, or endpoint systems
• Building an early-warning system that detects ransomware before it encrypts business-critical data
• Supplementing EDR solutions with lightweight canary file monitoring on systems where agents cannot be deployed
• Testing ransomware incident response procedures by simulating canary file triggers
• Monitoring shared drives, home directories, and backup volumes for unauthorized file operations

Do not use as a replacement for endpoint protection, backup strategy, or network segmentation. Canary files are a detection layer, not a prevention mechanism.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+ with pip
• watchdog library (pip install watchdog)
• Write access to directories where canary files will be placed
• SMTP server credentials or Slack webhook URL for alerting
• Administrative access for placing canaries in system directories