Get rid of WildFire Locker ransomware virus

WildFire Locker overcomes most of the protection systems. It is a computer program that runs a malicious encryption. The routine blocks access to the items stored on a compromised machine. Besides, the scrambling affects destinations beyond the memory of affected device. It tries to scramble data stored on shared network drives, removable media, etc. The bad news is that most of the security solutions fail both to notice the infection and decrypt the files.

WildFire-Locker-Virus

IT experts have concluded that a number of actors circulate the virus. That is, the developers of ransomware make it available at dark net communities. It is relatively easy to sign up with such forums and get your copy of the encryption Trojan. The creators instruct the distributors on basic ways for propagating the infection. They also advise on the ransom amount, payment method. The distributors may adjust other features such as the communication with a remote server, lag between the malware invasion and encryption launching. Hence one gets the ransomware-as-a-service product.

Eventually, the selection of infection vector is up to the WildFire Locker pushers. Observations indicate a prevailing method, though. According to the reports available, the ransomware chiefly arrives via software vulnerabilities. Several successful attacks targeted DNS configuration: that poisoned a conversion of originally harmless yet popular website names into numerical reference. The web-browser loaded a malicious page instead of the one requested due to the disrupted DNS.

The criminals behind the ransomware do not abandon the infecting process that spawns from a cheating email. The recipient has a computer compromised after opening the contaminated attachment. To lure victims into failing to execute proper precaution, the attackers hack accounts and distribute the misleading letter among the contacts. The recipient opens the email and extracts the attachment as the content has originated from the familiar person.

To lock the files on your PC, WildFire Locker resorts to the AES-256 system. This is a symmetric algorithm: you use the same key to encode and decode the data. Despite the technology is quite plain, it features unbreakable encryption.

The ransomware creates its extortion note dropping the copies into each folder. The files encrypted have their names modified as well.

The ransom note sends the victims to a personal decryption page. The page prompts the visitor to transfer 299 U.S. dollars or Euro, which is approximately 0.5 bitcoins. It states the fee is going to increase to USD 999 unless paid before the deadline indicated. The period varies as each dropper can adjust it. The amount demanded varies as well according to the Bitcoin rate of exchange. Hence the sum originally indicated by the ransomware is but a benchmark.

True, the decryption of affected files is not possible without the key. Nevertheless, paying the ransom shall apply, if ever, only in case the data recovery does not yield a satisfactory result. Besides, the victims often abandon the issue WildFire Locker removal. That is a really bad idea to let the ransomware survive on your PC. Get rid of WildFire Locker crypto-trojan regardless of the data recovery method applied. Detailed guidance on the virus extermination and encrypted data restoration follows.

Automatic removal of WildFire Locker 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.

  1. Download and install recommended malware security suite
  2. 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.

Restore files locked by WildFire Locker

WildFire Locker 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.

  • Launch data recovery software

    Similarly to the rest of its fellow-infections, WildFire Locker 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.

  • 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. WildFire Locker virus 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.Shadow Explorer

  • 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 WildFire Locker ransomware, 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.Previous Versions

  • Data backups work wonders

    Ransomware like WildFire Locker 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

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