ACTON Virus Removal Guide (+Decode .Acton files) – Phobos Ransomware

ACTON – Ransomware

The ACTON stands for a ransomware-type infection. The virus comes from the Phobos ransomware family. ACTON was elaborated specifically to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. ACTON adds the “.Acton” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, when encrypted by ACTON, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.id[{random number}-1021].[greg.philipson@aol.com].Acton” or “myphoto.jpg.id[{random number}-1085].[hadleeshelton@aol.com].Acton“. As quickly as the encryption is completed, ACTON places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by ACTON text file asking for the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives coming from the Phobos type. It actually discusses that the information is encrypted which the only way to bring back it is to use a a special decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism applied by ACTON is still not properly examined. Still, it is definitely particular that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is completely unique. It is impossible to bring back the files without the key available.

Another technique of ACTON is that the victims cannot access to the key. The key is kept on a specific server run by the frauds connected with ACTON ransomware. To get the key and recover the important info people need to pay the ransom.

Nonetheless, regardless of the asked for amount, people must keep away from paying the ransom virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to entirely ignore what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom normally does not give any positive outcome and people just lose their money for nothing.

We highly encourage that you do not contact these crooks and definitely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack ACTON ransomware and to recover the data data free of charge. Thus, the just best decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name ACTON Ransomware
File Extension .Acton
Type Ransomware
Family Phobos
Short Description The ransomware encrypts all the data stored on your system and requires a ransom to be paid on your part supposedly to recover your important files.
Symptoms File encryption by the ransomware is performed by means of the AES and RSA encryption algorithms. Once the encryption is completed, the ransomware adds its special Acton extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Similar Infections 1500dollars, Acute, Wallet
Removal Tool   GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Remember that the world wide web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to ACTON ransomware. It is similar 1500dollars and many other ransomware-type threats. Destructive programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt crucial information and to set forth the demand prior to the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to create the distinct decryption key for data decryption.

Thus, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, by hand recovering the information is merely not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your essential files is to routinely create backups of your important information.

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they need to be placed into a special storage utility not connect to your main computer. You may use the Memory Stick or external disk drive for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you save your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted along with other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage place.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are numerous methods used by online frauds to distribute ACTON ransomware. Even though it is uncertain how exactly ACTON injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:

  • integration with third-party software application, especially freeware;
  • spam e-mails from unidentified senders;
  • sites rendering free hosting services;
  • pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.

Often ACTON ransomware may exist as some genuine software, for instance, in the pop-ups instructing users to execute some important software application updates. This is the typical trick used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing ACTON infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

Additionally, the criminals may refer to different email spam strategies to inject destructive codes into copmuter. So, they may refer to to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notices promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones encouraging users to open some photos, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may seriously damage the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade informs may result in ACTON ransom injection. When it comes to the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include destructive codes leading to ACTON secret installation. Finally, injection of ACTON may occur by ways of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and set up malicious utilities without the user’s approval.

Is there any method to avoid the injection of ACTON ransom virus?

Despite the fact that there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we want to show with you. First of all, be extremely cautious when you surf the web and specifically while downloading totally free programs. Keep away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Remember that some freeware installers may consist of other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be harmful. Make certain that your current anti-virus and your entire operating system is always duly updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is illegal and may lead to important damage to be made for your PC. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and potentially switch to another security solution that can render much better services of protecting your Windows.

Screenshot of info.txt note added by the ransomware:

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove ACTON ransomware from your computer

1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:

  GridinSoft Anti-Malware

2. Double-click on the setup file.

When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-ag.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.

An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.

3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.

4. Wait for the GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Win Speedup 2018 and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so we suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.

5. Click on “Clean Now”.

When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.

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Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann has been writing on security and malware subjects for many years and has been working in the security industry for over 10 years. Daniel was educated at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany and currently lives in New York.

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