NEFILM ransomware seeks to encrypt your filesThreat SummaryHow ransomware infects your computerGuide to remove NEFILIM ransomware virus
The message which is found in the (NEFILIM-DECRYPT.txt) is quite straightforward – the victim has a choice – either to meet demands of the criminals or to take no action which, according to the criminals, will result in publicization of personal information within 7 days. The message (which is signed by jamesgonzaleswork1972@protonmail.com, pretty_hardjob2881@mail.com and dprworkjessiaeye1955@tutanota.com) also states that since the compromised files are encrypted using NEFILIM ransomware, it is not possible to regain access to original files using any third-party software. The intruders promise to provide the key needed to regain access to the files once the demands are met, but this course of action is not recommended, since putting yourself at the criminal’s mercy might lead to pointless financial losses – victim cannot be sure that the tools needed for .nefilim file decryption will be given.
Threat Summary
Unfortunately, it is true that in most of these kinds of cases the decryption without criminal’s intervention is impossible, unless the ransomware is still in development stages and has flaws which could be exploited in victim’s favor. NEFILIM virus uses AES 128 and RSA 2048 ciphers for data encryption and dynamically calls SystemFunction036 to generate new key per victim’s file. Nevertheless, the only rational action you can take in this situation is to remove NEFILIM ransomware virus completely from your computer. Sadly, this action won’t help to restore your compromised files. However, you can always recover them from a backup. The only condition is that it needs to be created before the intrusion and held in a different location.
How ransomware infects your computer
Generally, all types of malware (including ransomware) can infect your computer in various ways – via trojans, illegitimate activation software (a.k.a. cracks), fabricated updaters, spam campaigns, unreliable download sources etc. Spam campaigns send deceitful emails, which might have infectious files or links attached to them. Fake updaters can harm your system by exploiting outdated products and might install ransomware instead of the updates. Trojans are infamous for having many abhorrent capabilities, such as triggering additional malware installation. In fact, damaging files come in various formats, from Microsoft Office and PDF documents to executable files. Therefore, there is no single and effective method on how to identify these kinds of threats. The easiest and most efficient way to infect victim’s computer is by exploiting people who use free file-hosting sites, various file sharing networks (Torrents, eMule, etc.) and in general – tend to download from the Internet inattentively. All of the before mentioned methods might be used to spread viruses, including NEFILIM ransomware.
Guide to remove NEFILIM ransomware virus
In order to keep your system safe from reoccurring intrusions and file encryptions, you need to remove the NEFILIM ransomware immediately. Certain preparation for the elimination is required beforehand, so follow closely. Follow the steps given below to boot your PC in Safe Mode, then proceed with the next steps to completely terminate the virus from your system. It is important, that the NEFILIM Ransomware removal should be done using trustworthy antivirus or anti-malware software, to ensure that, we recommend reading our reviews on them. As soon as the removal is complete, do not forget to change passwords for all websites and accounts saved in your browsers imminently. OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.
Alternative software recommendations
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking
Before you try to remove the virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, see a video tutorial on how to do it: Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10 users Now, you can search for and remove NEFILIM Ransomware files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable malware removal program. In addition, we suggest trying a combination of INTEGO Antivirus (removes malware and protects your PC in real-time) and RESTORO (repairs virus damage to Windows OS files).
Method 2. Use System Restore
In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future. Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.
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