Gusau is a Ransomware based cryptovirus, which is programmed to encrypt the files, stored on a given computer, and to make them inaccessible for the user. Only the criminal who launches the attack has the special code (decryption key) to decrypt your files and no matter what you do, you may not be able to open or use them without that key. Generally, after the encryption has taken place, the criminal leaves a .TXT or .HTML file with a message that provides you with instructions on what you need to do to receive the decryption key for your files. Usually, you are requested to pay a certain amount of money (in Bitcoins) as a ransom for the key (hence, Ransomware). This is a basic, yet highly effective, blackmailing scheme, the only aim of which is to extort money from the unsuspecting web users, whose personal information has been locked down.

If you are reading this page because you have been attacked by Gusau, maybe you’re asking yourself, “Should I pay the ransom?” Or maybe you are looking for alternatives to remove the infection and restore your data by other means. In both cases, we have something for you here – a special guide with detailed removal instructions and a file-recovery section with suggestions on how to potentially restore some of your encrypted information without paying the ransom to the crooks.

The vast majority of contaminations with threats like Gusau, Berosuce or Madek occur via email spam campaigns, which are nothing more than fake emails, structured in a way that would make the victims think that the letters are legitimate. Those emails always ask for some action from the user, such as downloading an attachment or clicking on a link from a contaminated website. Of course, there are many other methods of distribution such as fake ads, cracked software, pirated content, illegal websites, etc. The moment the user interacts with the transmitter, the malware gets activated and begins to operate silently in the background of the system.

Can I recover any encrypted .Gusau file

This is a question that lacks an universal answer which can be given for each case of a cryptovirus infection. Yes, there are some variants of Ransomware, from which the victims have been able to recover the encrypted files, but there are also some that we still do not have the tools to decrypt, unfortunately. That’s why the best you could do is explore the alternatives, remove the infection from the system and give a try to some methods that may eventually help you get back some of the encrypted data when possible.

In case of an infection with Gusau, a full external file backup will be invaluable, but even if you don’t have backup copies of your files, there are still some methods you could try. For instance, you could follow the suggestions in the file-recovery section below, or check our list of free decryptor tools. However, before you give a try to any of the methods, make sure you have removed the Ransomware from your computer. Otherwise, if the harmful code remains active in the system, it may encrypt again everything you manage to recover, including your backup sources.

SUMMARY:

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Remove .Gusau Ransomware

1: Preparations

Note: Before you go any further, we advise you to bookmark this page or have it open on a separate device such as your smartphone or another PC. Some of the steps might require you to exit your browser on this PC.

2: Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to enter the Task Manager. Go to the Tab labeled Processes (Details for Win 8/10). Carefully look through the list of processes that are currently active on you PC.

If any of them seems shady, consumes too much RAM/CPU or has some strange description or no description at all, right-click on it, select Open File Location and delete everything there.

Also, even if you do not delete the files, be sure to stop the process by right-clicking on it and selecting End Process.

3: IP related to Gusau

Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open the hosts file with notepad.

Find where it says Localhost and take a look below that. 

If you see any IP addresses there (below Localhost) send them to us here, in the comments since they might be coming from the Gusau.

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4: Disable Startup programs

Re-open the Start Menu and type msconfig.

Click on the first search result. In the next window, go to the Startup tab. If you are on Win 10,  it will send you to the Startup part of the task manager instead, as in the picture:

If you see any sketchy/shady looking entries in the list with an unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer name that looks suspicious as there could be a link between them and Gusau , disable those programs and select OK.

5: Registry Editor

Press Windows key + R and in the resulting window type regedit.

Now, press Ctrl + F and type the name of the virus.

Delete everything that gets found. If you are not sure about whether to delete something, do not hesitate to ask us in the comments. Keep in mind that if you delete the wrong thing, you might cause all sorts of issues to your PC.

6: Deleting potentially malicious data – Gusau

Type each of the following locations in the Windows search box and hit enter to open the locations:

%AppData%

%LocalAppData%

%ProgramData%

%WinDir%

%Temp%

Delete everything you see in Temp linked to Gusau Ransomware. About the other folders, sort their contents by date and delete only the most recent entries. As always, if you are not sure about something, write to us in the comment section.

7: Gusau Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Gusau Ransomware from your PC. However, in order to regain access to your files, you will also need to decrypt them or restore them. For that, we have a separate article with detailed instructions on what you have to do in order to unlock your data. Here is a link to that guide.

The post Remove Gusau Virus Ransomware (+ .Gusau File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

Recently, a number of web users have contacted our “How to remove” team, asking for help with the removal of one of the newest Ransomware cyrptoviruses, an infection called Vusad. This infection uses a very complex file encryption algorithm to block the access to the victim’s personal files and to ask for a ransom for their decryption. The malware can sneak silently in the system thanks to the user’s interaction with an infected file, a malicious email attachment, a fake ad, a misleading link or a spam message, and may secretly place an encryption to a number file types such as images, documents, databases, archives, audios, video files and more.

After the encryption process completes, a scary ransom demanding message may appear on the screen of the victim, informing them about the steps that they need to take if they want to restore the access to their locked data. The cyber criminals behind the infection may insist that the payment is made immediately and they usually promise to send you a special decryption key to reverse the encryption if you strictly follow all of their instructions.

However, if you are on this page, you most probably don’t want to give your money to the hackers behind Vusad right away, and would like to try to remove the Ransomware and restore your files through other means. If this is the case, we suggest that you carefully read the information that follows and make use of the instructions in the removal guide at the end of the page.

What is the recommended course of action in case of an infection with Ransomware like .Vusad File?

Placing encryption to personal files without the users’ knowledge and asking them to pay a ransom to decrypt them is pure form blackmailing and it is a crime. Therefore, any software that does that to your data is a serious threat to your computer and the people who stand behind it are criminals. That being said, paying to the hackers behind a Ransomware like Vusad,Herad, Budak is an act that can only encourage the criminals to blackmail you even more. Besides, there is absolutely no guarantee or any assurance that, if you fulfill all of the ransom demands, you will receive a decryption key and you will get your files back. Therefore, most reputed security professionals, including our “How to remove” team, advise against giving your money to the criminals in an attempt to obtain the decryption key. Instead, what we suggest is that you focus on removing Vusad from your machine and exploring some legitimate methods to recover your information. For instance, you can use your own file backups or give a try to the file-recovery suggestions in the removal guide below. First, however, it is important to eliminate the Ransomware from the computer in order to prevent it from encrypting even more files or the backup sources that you will connect. For quick and risk-free removal, we advise you to combine the steps in the removal guide with the professional Vusad removal tool which can run a full system scan and assist you with the removal of the cryptovirus.

Vusad SUMMARY:

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Remove Vusad Ransomware 

1: Preparations

Note: Before you go any further, we advise you to bookmark this page or have it open on a separate device such as your smartphone or another PC. Some of the steps might require you to exit your browser on this PC.

2: Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to enter the Task Manager. Go to the Tab labeled Processes (Details for Win 8/10). Carefully look through the list of processes that are currently active on you PC.

If any of them seems shady, consumes too much RAM/CPU or has some strange description or no description at all, right-click on it, select Open File Location and delete everything there.

Also, even if you do not delete the files, be sure to stop the process by right-clicking on it and selecting End Process.

3: IP related to Vusad

Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open the hosts file with notepad.

Find where it says Localhost and take a look below that. 

If you see any IP addresses there (below Localhost) send them to us here, in the comments since they might be coming from the Vusad.

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4: Disable Startup programs

Re-open the Start Menu and type msconfig.

Click on the first search result. In the next window, go to the Startup tab. If you are on Win 10,  it will send you to the Startup part of the task manager instead, as in the picture:

If you see any sketchy/shady looking entries in the list with an unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer name that looks suspicious as there could be a link between them and Vusad , disable those programs and select OK.

5: Registry Editor

Press Windows key + R and in the resulting window type regedit.

Now, press Ctrl + F and type the name of the virus.

Delete everything that gets found. If you are not sure about whether to delete something, do not hesitate to ask us in the comments. Keep in mind that if you delete the wrong thing, you might cause all sorts of issues to your PC.

6: Deleting potentially malicious data – Vusad

Type each of the following locations in the Windows search box and hit enter to open the locations:

%AppData%

%LocalAppData%

%ProgramData%

%WinDir%

%Temp%

Delete everything you see in Temp linked to Vusad Ransomware. About the other folders, sort their contents by date and delete only the most recent entries. As always, if you are not sure about something, write to us in the comment section.

7: Vusad Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Vusad Ransomware from your PC. However, in order to regain access to your files, you will also need to decrypt them or restore them. For that, we have a separate article with detailed instructions on what you have to do in order to unlock your data. Here is a link to that guide.

The post Remove Vusad Virus Ransomware (+.Vusad File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

Losing access to your personal files can be a huge problem if some of those files have been important to your work, education or private life. Unfortunately, you can lose data in a lot of ways: a hard drive failure, a stolen laptop, or data corruption. However, one of the nastiest ways to lose access to your most valuable information is if you get attacked by a Ransomware such as Gehad, Berosuce or Adage. This type of malware is extremely dreaded for its ability to secretly sneak inside the system and apply complex encryption to all the files that are stored on the computer. What is even worse is the fact that the infection places a ransom-demanding notification on the screen of its victims, asking for a ransom to be paid in exchange for the full liberation of the encrypted files. The specific thing about Ransomware infections like this one is that the crooks don’t really take your data or damage it – they just make it inaccessible without a special key, which they offer to send you in exchange for a certain amount of money.

Paying the hackers behind Gehad, however, is not a guarantee that everything will be back to normal. Besides, giving them your money does not mean that you will automatically receive the decryption key for your files. In fact, paying them only sponsors their criminal scheme and encourages them to blackmail you even more.

Therefore, on this page, our “How to remove” team will provide you with some alternative solutions which don’t involve paying a ransom, as well as a detailed Gehad removal guide that will help you detect and delete the Ransomware from your computer.

Though at first those cryptoviruses stay hidden and operate in silence, once they have already placed their encryption on the targeted files, noticing them is almost guaranteed since they place a ransom-demanding notification on your screen immediately after the files have become inaccessible. Yet, in order to correctly detect it and remove it permanently, you may need to follow certain removal steps or use the assistance of a professional removal tool. If you have a recent full backup, you can recover from the attack of Gehad with almost no consequences, except for the time lost to restore your files. In case you don’t have a backup, however, our suggestion is to give a try to the instructions in the file-recovery section from the guide or seek some professional assistance.

How to reduce your chances of having an encrypted .Gehad file

The cybercriminals who create malware are using various techniques to distribute their harmful pieces of software all around the Internet. Yet, there are a few things you could do to minimize the chances of a future infection:

• Maintain regular backups of important files. If possible, keep backup copies offline, for example, in an external drive, where they cannot be affected in case of an attack. The backup copies will be useless if they are encrypted by Gehad along with the main copies of the files on the infected computer so never connect your backup if you are not sure whether or not there’s a Ransomware in the machine.
• Use a strong antivirus program and keep it updated. In many cases, the infection with Ransomware is just a result of a previous infection with a Trojan Horse or another malware that has secretly invited more malware in the system.
• Keep your operating system and software updated with the latest security patches. This decreases the possibility of any malware sneaking into your computer unnoticed through security holes.

SUMMARY:

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Remove .Gehad Ransomware

1: Preparations

Note: Before you go any further, we advise you to bookmark this page or have it open on a separate device such as your smartphone or another PC. Some of the steps might require you to exit your browser on this PC.

2: Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to enter the Task Manager. Go to the Tab labeled Processes (Details for Win 8/10). Carefully look through the list of processes that are currently active on you PC.

If any of them seems shady, consumes too much RAM/CPU or has some strange description or no description at all, right-click on it, select Open File Location and delete everything there.

Also, even if you do not delete the files, be sure to stop the process by right-clicking on it and selecting End Process.

3: IP related to Gehad

Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open the hosts file with notepad.

Find where it says Localhost and take a look below that. 

If you see any IP addresses there (below Localhost) send them to us here, in the comments since they might be coming from the Gehad.

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4: Disable Startup programs

Re-open the Start Menu and type msconfig.

Click on the first search result. In the next window, go to the Startup tab. If you are on Win 10,  it will send you to the Startup part of the task manager instead, as in the picture:

If you see any sketchy/shady looking entries in the list with an unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer name that looks suspicious as there could be a link between them and Gehad , disable those programs and select OK.

5: Registry Editor

Press Windows key + R and in the resulting window type regedit.

Now, press Ctrl + F and type the name of the virus.

Delete everything that gets found. If you are not sure about whether to delete something, do not hesitate to ask us in the comments. Keep in mind that if you delete the wrong thing, you might cause all sorts of issues to your PC.

6: Deleting potentially malicious data – Gehad

Type each of the following locations in the Windows search box and hit enter to open the locations:

%AppData%

%LocalAppData%

%ProgramData%

%WinDir%

%Temp%

Delete everything you see in Temp linked to Gehad Ransomware. About the other folders, sort their contents by date and delete only the most recent entries. As always, if you are not sure about something, write to us in the comment section.

7: Gehad Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Gehad Ransomware from your PC. However, in order to regain access to your files, you will also need to decrypt them or restore them. For that, we have a separate article with detailed instructions on what you have to do in order to unlock your data. Here is a link to that guide.

The post Remove Gehad Virus Ransomware (+.Gehad File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

The fact that your personal files in your computer can’t be opened because their extensions have been changed to ones that are unrecognizable to your system and because an encryption has been placed on them normally means only one thing – you have become the victim of a Ransomware cryptovirus. This is not an uncommon occurrence, especially nowadays – the viruses of the cryptovirus Ransomware category are everywhere and everyone, even experienced and cautious users who have strong antivirus protection in their computers, can get their systems invaded by such an infection. And, once a Ransomware enters the computer and locks-up its files – there aren’t many ways to counteract this. Here, we will try our best to help the ones of you that have had their data sealed by a threat named the Berosuce Virus – this new cryptovirus has been spreading around the web quite rapidly in the recent days and there are already quite a few cases of users that have had their data files encrypted by it. We assume that many of the people who have found this article are ones that currently have Berosuce in their machines. If you are one of those users, you may find the guide we’ve posted below rather useful – it has steps that will help you manually remove the Berosuce infection as well as a reliable tool for automatic removal of such threats. Also, there is a second section to the guide that is specifically focused on methods you may use to recover your files from the Ransomware attack. Of course, you can always opt for the ransom-payment “option” instead. After all, this is what the whole purpose of cryptoviruses like Berosuce, Budak or Godes is – to extort money from their victims by blackmailing them. If your data has gotten locked up by the Berosuce Ransomware, then you more than likely have had a big notification displayed on your screen that tells you what the supposed best way to restore your files is, namely, to pay a certain amount of money to the criminals behind this Ransomware. However, similarly to pretty much all other security specialists, strongly advise against following the hackers’ demands – there are no guarantees you will get the decryption key for the sealed files even in case you do indeed pay the money demanded of you. What’s certain, however, is that if you pay, you will never again get this money back irrespective of whether or not your data gets restored.

Can any .Berosuce file be recovered?

First and foremost, you need to understand that this Ransomware must be removed from your computer and since it likely will not go away on its own, you need to do something about its elimination. As we said, the guide that you will see next has the instructions that can help you with that but you really need to make sure you follow them meticulously because if you don’t you may risk deleting something that you aren’t supposed to. After the virus is gone, you can then safely try to bring your data back via the alternative methods that we’ve offered you since there won’t be any risk of getting any of the recovered files encrypted again.

SUMMARY:

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Remove .Berosuce Ransomware

1: Preparations

Note: Before you go any further, we advise you to bookmark this page or have it open on a separate device such as your smartphone or another PC. Some of the steps might require you to exit your browser on this PC.

2: Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to enter the Task Manager. Go to the Tab labeled Processes (Details for Win 8/10). Carefully look through the list of processes that are currently active on you PC.

If any of them seems shady, consumes too much RAM/CPU or has some strange description or no description at all, right-click on it, select Open File Location and delete everything there.

Also, even if you do not delete the files, be sure to stop the process by right-clicking on it and selecting End Process.

3: IP related to Berosuce

Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open the hosts file with notepad.

Find where it says Localhost and take a look below that. 

If you see any IP addresses there (below Localhost) send them to us here, in the comments since they might be coming from the Berosuce.

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4: Disable Startup programs

Re-open the Start Menu and type msconfig.

Click on the first search result. In the next window, go to the Startup tab. If you are on Win 10,  it will send you to the Startup part of the task manager instead, as in the picture:

If you see any sketchy/shady looking entries in the list with an unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer name that looks suspicious as there could be a link between them and Berosuce , disable those programs and select OK.

5: Registry Editor

Press Windows key + R and in the resulting window type regedit.

Now, press Ctrl + F and type the name of the virus.

Delete everything that gets found. If you are not sure about whether to delete something, do not hesitate to ask us in the comments. Keep in mind that if you delete the wrong thing, you might cause all sorts of issues to your PC.

6: Deleting potentially malicious data – Berosuce

Type each of the following locations in the Windows search box and hit enter to open the locations:

%AppData%

%LocalAppData%

%ProgramData%

%WinDir%

%Temp%

Delete everything you see in Temp linked to the Berosuce Ransomware. About the other folders, sort their contents by date and delete only the most recent entries. As always, if you are not sure about something, write to us in the comment section.

7: Berosuce Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Berosuce Ransomware from your PC. However, in order to regain access to your files, you will also need to decrypt them or restore them. For that, we have a separate article with detailed instructions on what you have to do in order to unlock your data. Here is a link to that guide.

The post Remove Berosuce Virus Ransomware (+.Berosuce File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.