One of the main problems faced by internet companies today is Ransomware. For this reason, cybersecurity has continued to grow as an industry in general. Unfortunately, players on both sides can easily be described as the bad guys and the good guys. The bad guys are the perpetrators of these malicious programs that terrorize companies, organizations, and even government institutions.
Ransomware is a malicious program that mainly encrypts the victims' files and subsequently asks for some payment, usually in cryptocurrency form, for anonymity reasons. In recent years, Ransomware has become such a huge menace that it has infiltrated corporate networks and personal computers. In this piece, we will discuss some of the different ways you can remove malware from your computer.
Some of these methods require some technical knowledge of the Windows operating system to execute them efficiently; however, the explanations will be made simpler and straightforward to make them easier to follow. First, however, let's look at some of the preventive measures you can take to protect yourself from ransomware attacks.
Amidst the ransomware craze, there's plenty of options available for Windows 10 users to help protect from Ransomware. Unfortunately, some of these techniques involve the use of third-party software, especially antimalware.
Usually, there are standard measures that computer users are expected to take care of if they want to be safe. For instance, you are always required to update your Windows operating system immediately after a new release has been made. These updates are usually heavily focused on security issues; therefore, they tend to fix their previous releases' security flaws.
On Windows 10, here are a few standard practices that you can adopt to be on the safer side. Firstly, ensure that your operating system is updated to the latest version and the newest version release. To ensure that this is done, always set your operating system to auto-update whenever an update is available.
Similarly, you need to turn on your native security software on the Windows 10 platform known as Windows Defender. Windows Defender is the security program natively built into Windows 10 to help protect its users from all sorts of malware attacks. Again, it is essential to turn on File History on your computer if it hasn't been turned on already. Usually, this is done by the PC manufacturer; however, it is prudent to check to be sure it is turned on.
Finally, to be precautionary enough, you need to back up your files in case of any unexpected ransomware attack. This will allow you to restore your files whenever you experience an unexpected attack that ends up encrypting your computer files.
Windows 10 is well equipped to handle several malware infections. In most cases, you find that Windows Defender will eliminate most of the virus threats in the background. However, it will sometimes notify you whenever an imminent threat is detected in your computer, depending on your alert settings.
The Windows Defender Security Center will actively scan your PC for any possible malicious program of File through the Windows Defender Antivirus. The program operates in real-time and actively scans newly downloaded files for all sorts of malware. With these measures in place, your computer is relatively safe from conventional malware attacks. However, Ransomware attackers are brilliant when targeting their victims. For this reason, ransomware attacks can work their way around these basic defense strategies. Below are some strategies you can use to remove Ransomware from your PC.
There are different techniques for removing Ransomware from your computer. Both technical and straightforward ways. Below are some of the simple ways you can delete Ransomware from your computer. Remember, these techniques do not decrypt your encrypted files, but they remove the ransomware files that infected your computer.
These Ransomware types are usually referred to as medium-risk Ransomware because they do not affect the underlying computer files. Instead, they lock you out of the computer by blocking the screen. Screen Lockers usually lock you out from using both keyboard and mouse and leave out specific keys that let you pay the ransom.
To remove screen lockers and encryptors, you will need to find a way to regain access to your computer before you perform any of these procedures. To do so, you will have to reboot the computer in safe mode. Here's how you do it.
Forcefully turn off your computer by long-pressing the power button until it shuts down. This is because the Ransomware will not let you navigate the computer screen to shut it down normally. When the computer is off, press the power button again, and when the CPU fires up, press the F8 key on your PC's keyboard repeatedly until the advanced boot option is displayed on your screen.
Please navigate to the Safe Mode option and select it as your preferred booting option. Using your keyboard arrow keys to navigate, move the selection to Safe Mode with Networking under the available boot options and select Enter to reboot your computer in Safe Mode.
At this point, you will have regained access to your computer in safe mode. This allows you to operate the computer and perform the ransomware removal technique discussed below. To remove Ransomware, you will need to install an antimalware program in a bootable peripheral device. For instance, you can have your antivirus on a flash drive.
Now with this device ready, connect it to the computer. The computer will recognize the drive and list it among the available storage devices under My Computer. You should then navigate to the File Manager section, open the File inside the Flash drive, and run the Antivirus software.
The antimalware program installed should detect all the malware available in your computer, including the Ransomware. It will prompt you to delete the malicious programs as soon as it detects them. Delete all the detected threats as shown by the antimalware.
It is important to note that not all antimalware programs work the same way. Some are more powerful than others, and the stronger your tool, the better your chances of finding and deleting all the malware available on your computer. Most of the mainstream antivirus software in the market, including Kaspersky, Avast, and Bitdefender, is good enough for this purpose.
Once you delete all the malware files detected by the antimalware software you installed, you can click on the Start button at the bottom of the screen to restart the computer. After that, you should manage to reaccess your computer in normal mode. This implies that you have successfully deleted the Ransomware and all other malware files in your computer system.
Several ransomware tools in the market can help you identify which malware you are dealing with and sometimes even remove them from your PC. However, some of these tools are usually recommended for advanced computer users due to the risks and complexities involved in using them.
Below are some of the tools used to detect and remove Ransomware.
ID ransomware is an online tool that helps users identify the type of Ransomware that has infected their computer. It is straightforward to use, you need to upload your encrypted File to the website, and it will identify the type of Ransomware that has infected your computer. It can detect more than 250 ransomware in the current market.
This is also an anti-ransomware organization that helps victims in decrypting their encrypted files. The website allows users to upload files, not more than 1 Mb, to determine Ransomware type. No More Ransom has decryption tools for many Ransomware, including, but not limited to, TeslaCrypt, Chimera, Shade, WildFire, Rakhni, and CoinVault.
Trend Micro has a specific tool that allows you to unlock your computer when infected with Screen Locker type of Ransomware. The Screen Unlocker tool by Trend Micro can block the normal mode and activate the Safe Mode With Networking, or it can block both Normal and Safe Modes.
Similarly, the Trend Micro team has a file decryption tool that can decrypt files encrypted with ransomware. The ransomware file decryptor can decrypt files encrypted with LeChiffre, Chimera, MirCorp, 777, Crysis, TeslaCrypt, Autolocky, Jigsaw, DXXD, and XORBAT, among others.
Additionally, there are premium tools in the market that also help users to tackle malware problems in general. Some of the relevant solutions are Avast Premium Security, MalwareBuster, Kaspersky, Thor Premium Home, and VirusTotal.
Most of the above software are premium solutions, meaning that you pay for their services. In addition, they have advanced decryption tools available. However, not all ransomware attacks can be decrypted, so sometimes, the only option available is to wipe the entire computer and reinstall everything afresh.
For this reason, it is always essential to have a file backup system to help you recover most of your documents in case of a severe ransomware attack.
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