Ransomware cryptoviruses such as Cosakos are some of the most dangerous computer infections that you can encounter online. Dealing with them can be very challenging, yet, there is no need to let the panic take you over. The main problem with the Ransomware-based infections is the fact that they don’t harm anything on the system and, thus, the security programs rarely can detect them. Unlike most other computer threats, such as Trojans or Rootkits who usually do some significant damage, these pieces of malware just apply a special encryption to the files, stored in the system without damaging them. In this way, infections like Cosakos, Nvetud or Mogranos prevent the victims from accessing their information and ask them to pay a ransom (usually in BitCoins) in order to regain their access. Another factor that plays a great role when it comes to surprising the victims is the stealthiness of the Ransomware. Such malware can sneak inside the system with the help of many infection methods, including through the distribution of spam, malicious email attachments, fake software update requests, infected ads and more. On top of that, in many cases, it may not be possible to reverse the effects of their attack successfully.

To access the encrypted information, you would need to apply a special decryption key, which can reverse the applied encryption. This key, however, is kept at the server of the attackers who stay behind the Ransomware and they will ask you to pay a certain amount of money for it. They will display a ransom-demanding notification on your screen with instructions on how to make the payment.

Professional malware researchers all around the web, who try to combat Ransomware infections, advise the victims of this blackmailing software not to give their money to the hackers. The strongest reason for that is the fact that the online crooks simply cannot be trusted. They may easily trick you into paying the ransom by promising that they will help you get your files back and then simply disappear without sending you nothing. Even if you follow every step of their ransom-payment instructions, there is no guarantee that you will get the decryption key. Not to mention that, in the event you do get one, there is no proof that it will work. The only thing that is for sure is that your money will be gone and there will be no refund, regardless of whether you get your data back or not.

Can the .Cosakos file encryption be broken?

In case your audios, videos, images, documents and other personal files have been encrypted by Cosakos, our suggestion is to take a look at the Removal Guide below. It contains instructions on how to remove the Ransomware both manually or with the help of a professional removal tool, as well as some file-recovery suggestions. If you have backups, you can use them as well. Keep in mind though, that the effectiveness of the alternative methods may vary from case to case. Therefore, a 100% success in file-recovery cannot be guaranteed in all the cases.

SUMMARY:

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Remove .Cosakos 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 Cosakos

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 Cosakos.

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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 Cosakos , 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 – Cosakos

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 Cosakos 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: Cosakos Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Cosakos 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 Cosakos Virus Ransomware (+ .Cosakos File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

The .Cosacos virus

 Cosacos is the Ransomware cryptovirus infection that is the reason for writing the current post – it is a new and particularly unpleasant piece of malware that uses a highly sophisticated encryption code to lock up the files of the people whose computers it attacks. Such encryptions are really difficult to break even for a professional malware security expert. There are many people out there working day and night to break the encryptions of newer cryptoviruses like Cosacos in order to develop working decryptor tools. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to create a single such tool for only one Ransomware. At the same time, new Ransomware infections like Cosacos or Nelasod get created on a daily basis, which means there’s always a number of cryptoviruses with no corresponding decryptor tools for them. On our site, you can find a list of decryptors for some of the most popular Ransomware threats. We try to update the list with the latest decryptor additions so that our users can find and use them.

Why not simply pay the ransom?

The main problem with the payment is the uncertainty of it. Even if you leave aside the fact that the money sum demanded for the files’ decryption could be quite high and that not everyone may have the opportunity to make such a payment, there is still the risk of sending the sum and not getting anything in exchange for it. The hackers behind threats like Cosacos are not to be trusted – after all, they are the people responsible for your files’ decryption. They could easily decide that sending you the key is not something they are going to do. Furthermore, what’s the guarantee that such a key even exists? Oftentimes, there is none.

An alternative to the .Cosacos file encryption

We cannot promise that if you follow the alternative we are about to present you with, you will bring all of your data back. Still, it is worth to give it a try. The first thing you’d need to do is remove the virus – the guide below and the linked removal tool will help you with that. Then, you can go to the next section of the guide to see some recovery suggestions as well as visit our list of Ransomware decryptors and try some of them.

Cosacos SUMMARY:

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Remove Cosacos 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 Cosacos

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 Cosacos.

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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 Cosacos , 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 – Cosacos

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 Cosacos 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: Cosacos Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Cosacos 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 Cosacos Virus Ransomware (+.Cosacos File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

There are special types of computer threats, called Ransomware viruses, which are famous for their ability to take the user’s personal data hostage and to demand that a ransom is paid if the victim wants to access any of their files again. This type of malware is one of the most common threats on the Internet and is a very popular tool used by online criminals to extort money from regular web users.

The fact that most people don’t keep regular backup copies of their files helps the crooks a lot, because once the personal data becomes encrypted with the help of a sophisticated file-encrypting infection like Mogranos, Nelasod, Format,, the only viable choice the victims have is to pay the ransom money. The criminals typically claim that they will send a special decryption key if the payment is made according to their instructions, and feed the victims with promises that everything will be back to normal.

However, will paying the ransom really save your computer from a Ransomware like Mogranos, and is this the only solution to get your files back? Well, unfortunately, there cannot be an exact answer to this question, and the reason for that is simple: you can’t trust the anonymous criminals.

Will paying remove the .Mogranos file encryption?

Regardless of how convincing the hackers may try to be, there simply is no guarantee that they will send you the secret decryption key for the files that their virus has encrypted. If you are lucky enough, you may eventually receive some decryption solution in exchange for your money, but there is practically nothing you could do if the crooks decide to not send you anything. It is not excluded that they may not even have a working decryption key, and that they may simply be trying to trick you into making the ransom payment without having any actual intention of helping you out with your data’s recovery. In this case, if you send them your money, that money will be gone in vain. This is because, in most cases, the ransom that the hackers demand is requested in BitCoin, or in another similar cryptocurrency, the transaction of which is almost impossible to trace. This method of payment allows the criminals to remain anonymous, and is one of the main reasons why they usually cannot be brought to justice by the authorities.

Dealing with .Mogranos virus

If a Ransomware like Mogranos is not removed but is left to operate in the system undisturbed, it can make your computer unusable, because it may encrypt every new file you create, as well as any other devices or backup copies you connect to the infected machine. Therefore, the most recommended course of action according to most security specialists, including our “How to remove” team, is to focus on removing Ransomware infection. Once you have successfully deleted it, you can safely connect your backup sources or give a try to some alternative file-recovery methods. If you don’t know how to do that, the removal guide below can assist you in detecting and removing Mogranos. There is also a special section with suggestions on how to retrieve some of your files without paying the ransom.

Mogranos SUMMARY:

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Mogranos Ransomware Removal

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 Mogranos

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 Mogranos.

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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 Mogranos , 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 – Mogranos

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 Mogranos 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: Mogranos Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Mogranos 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 Mogranos Virus Ransomware (+.Mogranos File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.