ShadowCrypt: Bridging the Usability Gap in Link - Based Ransomware Defense through Seamless Copying of Protected Files

Ransomware continues to pose a significant threat to user data, often rendering files irrecoverable even after a ransomware infection has been identified. Existing solutions primarily focus on detection or recovery through backups, which are reactive and often insufficient against advanced threats. This paper presents ShadowCrypt, a proactive defense system that protects sensitive files by rendering them invisible to ransomware. Rather than relying on signature-based detection or behavioral heuristics, ShadowCrypt utilizes a novel combination of file redirection, extension obfuscation, metadata encryption, and shortcut-based access to make files undiscoverable and unmodifiable. Once protected, files are relocated to system-reserved, non-indexed directories, renamed with benign extensions, and replaced with hashed shortcuts that enable seamless user access without revealing the actual location or identity of the data. The system maintains integrity and usability through a secure encrypted database and offers a resilient recovery framework—even in the aftermath of ransomware attacks that delete access points. To address usability limitations inherent in shortcut-based architectures, ShadowCrypt introduces a clipboard monitoring mechanism that allows users to securely copy and paste protected files, enabling true duplication without compromising security. Experimental results demonstrate negligible performance overhead and high reliability across a range of attack scenarios. ShadowCrypt effectively bridges the gap between robust protection and practical usability, positioning itself as a forwardthinking model for future ransomware-resilient systems.