SEKHMET ransomware demands money for data decryption toolThreat SummaryThe ransom payment websiteCommon ransomware distribution vectors usedEasy way to remove SEKHMET ransomware from your PC
The ransom note left in the RECOVER-FILES.txt file says that the victim’s company network has been hacked into and now confidential and private data has been stolen. The note suggests the victim to contact the criminals within 3 days, otherwise the collected data will be published online. The note explains that all files on the system were altered using a combination of RSA-2048 and ChaCha encryption algorithms. In order to decrypt files (turn them back to original state), a decryption key must be used. Unfortunately, only the criminals have this key, and it is impossible to get it in any other way. The SEKHMET ransomware suggests that paying the ransom will ensure that data won’t appear online and get back to its initial state instantly. The criminals explain how to download Tor browser and visit the specified website to pay the ransom in cryptocurrency. The ransomware was dubbed after the alternative website name provided in the ransom note – hxxps://sekhmet.top/uniquecode. If your files have been affected by this malicious crypto-virus, we recommend you to remove SEKHMET ransomware as soon as possible. We typically recommend doing so with a powerful anti-malware tool. In this case, we recommend using System Mechanic Ultimate Defense.
Threat Summary
The ransom payment website
SEKHMET ransomware points to a payment website which has such pages – CHAT, BUY BITCOINS, and TRIAL DECRYPT. The chat page includes a chat box to contact the criminals and get a response; the buy Bitcoins page points to various websites selling the specified cryptocurrency. The Trial Decryption page suggests decrypting a file for free. What is also interesting about this ransomware is that it states that the victim can negotiate the ransom price. It means that the criminals are willing to discuss the price the victim may be able to afford. However, we still do not recommend paying it. Please be patient – the cybercriminals might find a way to restore files for free after finding a flaw in the virus’ encryption routine.
Common ransomware distribution vectors used
SEKHMET ransomware is essentially similar to viruses from the same category – PHOBOS, NEMTY, MADO, OPQZ and others. Such malware is mostly distributed using the following techniques:
Malicious spam emails. These deceptive emails typically contain a link or an attachment (PDF, Microsoft Word, IQY format file, etc.) which contains a ransomware payload. Clicking on such attached links/files can be fatal for your personal files.Illegal files available to download online. Ransomware viruses are often hidden or obfuscated as illegal paid software activation tools like KMSPico or software cracks/keygens. Downloading such files (typically via peer-to-peer file sharing agents) often results in serious damage to victim’s privacy.
To learn more about ways to protect yourself again ransomware attacks, please read this tutorial.
Easy way to remove SEKHMET ransomware from your PC
Remove SEKHMET ransomware virus and protect your PC from further damage as soon as you can. We strongly recommend using an automatic tool instead of manual removal as it ensures collecting and eliminating malware remains hidden in deepest computer system locations. SEKHMET virus removal is explained below. Follow the steps attentively to secure your PC and clean it from dangerous remains now. 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 SEKHMET 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.
System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.
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