ACTOR Virus Removal Guide (+Decode .[William_Kidd_2019@protonmail.com].actor files) – Phobos Ransomware

ACTOR – Ransomware

The ACTOR stands for a ransomware-type infection. The infection comes from the Phobos ransomware family. ACTOR was elaborated specifically to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. ACTOR adds the “.[William_Kidd_2019@protonmail.com].actor” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, when encrypted by ACTOR, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.[William_Kidd_2019@protonmail.com].actor“. As quickly as the encryption is completed, ACTOR places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by ACTOR text file requesting the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the Phobos clan. It literally points out that the info is encrypted and that the only way to bring back it is to use a an unique decryption key. Sadly, this is absolutely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism applied by ACTOR is still not correctly examined. Still, it is absolutely specific that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is totally unique. It is impossible to restore the files without the key available.

Another technique of ACTOR is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is kept on a specific server run by the frauds related to ACTOR ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people have to pay the ransom.

Nevertheless, regardless of the requested amount, people need to stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to completely disregard what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom typically does not provide any positive result and people simply waste their money for nothing.

We strongly 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 ACTOR ransomware and to recover the information data for free. Thus, the just right decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	ACTOR Ransomware
File Extension	.[William_Kidd_2019@protonmail.com].actor
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 [William_Kidd_2019@protonmail.com].actor extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool	GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Keep in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to ACTOR ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are typically elaborated to encrypt essential data and to state the demand before the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a comparable algorithm to generate the distinct decryption key for information 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 way to prevent the loss of your crucial data is to frequently create backups of your important information.

Keep in mind that even if you create such backups, they should be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the Memory Stick or external hard 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 together with other files, so it’s absolutely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my computer?

There are several ways used by online frauds to distribute ACTOR ransomware. Although it is uncertain how precisely ACTOR injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

• integration with third-party software, especially freeware;
• spam emails from unknown senders;
• websites rendering free hosting services;
• pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.

Frequently ACTOR virus might be presented as some legitimate software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some essential software application updates. This is the common trick used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing ACTOR infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.

Furthermore, the criminals might refer to numerous e-mail spam strategies to inject destructive codes into systems. So, they may refer to to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notifications promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones encouraging users to open some video, files, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade alerts may result in ACTOR virus injection. As for the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include malicious codes leading to ACTOR secret installation. Finally, injection of ACTOR may happen by ways of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and install malicious tools without the user’s consent.

Is there any way to prevent the injection of ACTOR ransom virus?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we wish to share with with you. First off, be extremely mindful when you surf the web and specifically while downloading free programs. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Remember that some freeware installers may include other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be harmful. Ensure that your current antivirus software and your entire operating system is always appropriately updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is illegal and may result in important damage to be made for your PC. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also strongly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps switch to another security solution that can render far better services of defending your PC.

Screenshot of files with “.[William_Kidd_2019@protonmail.com].actor” extension added by the ransomware:

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove ACTOR 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.