Malicious programs may run quietly in the background. They may perform their tasks without making users aware of their presence. That is the case with such malware as keyloggers, spyware, redirect Trojans, etc. There are interactive malicious programs. They do not hesitate to announce their presence. Such applications are not meant to run quietly at the background. They are rather about making as much noise as possible.
Recently, counterfeits prevailed among such “Loud” malware. Fake antivirus, antispyware, performance boosters made their ways to user’s machines in order to scare people. That is why such programs are commonly referred to as scareware. Fake security solutions that pop up fake scan windows. The scan returns hundreds of deadly viruses, none of which has actually been detected. The showcase aims at scaring people. Victims have to believe their devices are deadly infected so that they cannot survive without the scareware. In fact, they can easily do. All they need is to remove the annoying malware.
Basically, the faking scareware is only able to get on your nerves. That is the only means of scamming users of their money. Nowadays, the web is dominated by so-called ransomware. It could be defined as real scareware. This software does not fake detection of any virus, damages, etc. Such applications actually lock your PC or your files and hold it locked till you pay the ransom.
As said, the software is commonly referred to as ransomware. Let us consider the latest and the most dangerous case of the ransomware, the one that drops HELP_YOUR_FILES ransom note on victim’s PC and is called Cryptowall 4.0.
Cryptowall 4.0 locks down your network drives, remotely connected drives and local drives. It finally encrypts your files. The last version numbered 4 is the worst one. New features include encrypting the names of the files. This makes it more difficult to run the backup and understand what actually was encrypted.
Cybercriminals changed the ransom note page. It is now entitled HELP_YOUR_FILES. It can be .txt, HTML.
In their HELP_YOUR_FILES ransom note page, the bad guys try to make it seem this is actually not a malicious thing but they try to make the Internet a safer place.
The methodology of infection is mostly based on email and spam. HELP_YOUR_FILES virus usually arrives with attached documents.
Once the infection is on your machine, it is going to reach out to the command and control server for the crypto key. Once it happens, the virus begins the encryption. Once it gets to that point, you have not many options. You can pay the ransom, use files from your backup, or try some other methods listed below.
Automatic removal of HELP_YOUR_FILES ransomware
The benefits of using the automatic security suite to get rid of this infection are obvious: it scans the entire system and detects all potential fragments of the virus, so you are a few mouse clicks away from a complete fix.
- Download and install recommended malware security suite
- Select Start Computer Scan feature and wait until the utility comes up with the scan report. Proceed by clicking on the Fix Threats button, which will trigger a thorough removal process to address all the malware issues compromising your computer and your privacy.
Unlock files encrypted by HELP_YOUR_FILES virus
HELP_YOUR_FILES represents a unique category of malicious software whose attack surface reaches beyond the operating system and its components, which is why removing the virus itself is a part of the fix only. As it has been mentioned, it encrypts one’s personal information, so the next phase of the overall remediation presupposes reinstating the files that will otherwise remain inaccessible.
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Launch data recovery software
Similarly to the rest of its fellow-infections, HELP_YOUR_FILES most likely follows an operational algorithm where it erases the original versions of the victim’s files and actually encrypts their copies. This peculiarity might make your day, because forensics-focused applications like Data Recovery Pro are capable of restoring the information that has been removed. As the virus further evolves, its modus operandi may be altered – in the meanwhile, go ahead and try this.
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Take advantage of Volume Shadow Copy Service
This technique is based on using the native backup functionality that’s shipped with Windows operating system. Also referred to as Volume Snapshot Service (VSS), this feature makes regular backups of the user’s files and keeps their most recent versions as long as System Restore is on. HELP_YOUR_FILES hasn’t been found to affect these copies therefore the restoration vector in question is strongly recommended. The two sub-sections below highlight the automatic and manual workflow.
- a) Use Shadow Explorer
Shadow Explorer is an applet that provides an easy way of retrieving previous versions of files and folders. Its pro’s include an intuitive interface where the computer’s entire file hierarchy is displayed within one window. Just pick the hard disk volume, select the object or directory to be restored, right-click on it and choose Export. Follow the app’s prompts to get the job done.
- b) Use file properties
Essentially, what the above-mentioned Shadow Explorer tool does is it automates the process that can otherwise be performed manually via the Properties dialog for individual files. This particular approach is more cumbrous but just as effective as its software-based counterpart, so you can proceed by right-clicking on a specific file, which has been encrypted by HELP_YOUR_FILES virus, and selecting Properties in the context menu. The tab named Previous Versions is the next thing to click – it displays available versions of the file by date of the snapshot creation. Pick the latest copy and complete the retrieval by following the prompts.
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Data backups work wonders
Ransomware like so-called HELP_YOUR_FILES isn’t nearly as almighty and destructive in case you run regular file backups to the cloud or external data media. The virus itself can be completely removed in a matter of minutes, and the distorted information can then be just as easily recovered from the backup. Luckily, this is a growing trend, so ransom Trojans are hopefully going to become less subversive in the near future.
Verify thoroughness of the removal
Having carried out the instructions above, add a finishing touch to the security procedure by running an additional computer scan to check for residual malware activity
