Cristie Software announces FSBlocker, a kernel-level driver for application-based access control of critical data.

London, UK, 2 March 2026 –

Cristie Software, a trusted leader in system recovery, migration, and replication solutions, today announced the release of FSBlocker, a new filesystem protection utility designed to prevent the unwanted deletion or modification of critical files or folders on Windows systems. FSBlocker provides an essential layer of defense at the kernel level to intercept file system calls and enforce strict access controls, either fully blocking file or folder access, or allowing access based on verified application signatures or application names. FSBlocker can also monitor and block modifications to the Windows system registry. This approach delivers robust, tamper-proof protection against unauthorised changes, deletion, or encryption attempts by malicious software.

“With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and persistent, FSBlocker offers a powerful new way to harden critical data stores against compromise,” said Scott Sterry, VP Business Development at Cristie Software. “As a use case example, FSBlocker can protect the integrity of critical backup and recovery data, to help ensure that organisations can trust their recovery infrastructure—even in the event of a ransomware attack.”

FSBlocker can be deployed independently of Cristie Software’s BMR (Cristie Bare Machine Recovery) solutions. It integrates seamlessly with Windows-based systems and is available for both physical and virtual machines, with support for Linux-based systems in development for 2026.

Key features include:

• Configurable file system lockdown at file or folder level
• Lightweight kernel-level driver for minimal system impact
• Prevents ransomware encryption of protected files
• Simple deployment and management across distributed environments
• No reliance on antivirus detection or signature updates

FSBlocker is particularly valuable in environments where backup integrity and recovery assurance are essential to business continuity, such as healthcare, finance, government, and critical infrastructure sectors.

The launch of FSBlocker builds on Cristie Software’s commitment to cyber-resilient recovery, following recent innovations which include Continuous Recovery Assurance and Advanced Anomaly Detection.