Remove AKO Virus (.AKO Files Ransomware) – MedusaLocker Ransomware

AKO – General Info

The AKO mean a ransomware-type infection. The infection comes from the MedusaLocker ransomware family. AKO was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. Once the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. AKO adds the “.AKO” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, as soon as encrypted by AKO, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.AKO“. As quickly as the encryption is finished, AKO places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by AKO text file requesting for the ransom is definitely the same as the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the MedusaLocker family. It literally points out that the information is encrypted and that the only way to bring back it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The type of cryptography mechanism applied by AKO is still not correctly examined. Still, it is absolutely particular that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is absolutely distinct. It is impossible to bring back the files without the key available.

Another trick of AKO is that the victims cannot access to the key. The key is saved on a specific server run by the frauds related to AKO ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people need to pay the ransom.

However, irrespective of the asked for amount, people should keep away from paying the ransom. 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 provide any positive result and people simply lose their money for nothing.

We highly recommend that you do not contact these crooks and absolutely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack AKO ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Therefore, the just best decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	AKO Ransomware
File Extension	.AKO
Type	Ransomware
Family	MedusaLocker
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 AKO extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool	GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Remember that the world wide web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to AKO ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are usually elaborated to encrypt essential information and to set forth the need before 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 files 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 avoid the loss of your important files is to routinely create backups of your important information.

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

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are several methods used by online scams to distribute AKO ransom virus. Even though it is uncertain how precisely AKO injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

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

Typically AKO ransomware may exist as some genuine software application, for instance, in the pop-ups instructing users to execute some essential software updates. This is the typical technique used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing AKO infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.

Furthermore, the criminals might describe different e-mail spam strategies to inject malicious codes into copmuter. So, they may describe 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 video, files, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade notifies may result in AKO ransom injection. When it comes to the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise consist of destructive codes resulting in AKO secret installation. Lastly, injection of AKO may happen by means of Trojans that secretly get injected into the system and install harmful tools without the user’s approval.

Is there any method to prevent the injection of AKO ransomware?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of recommendations we wish to show with you. Firstly, be very careful when you browse the web and especially while downloading complimentary programs. Keep away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Keep in mind that some freeware installers may consist of other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be malicious. Ensure that your current antivirus software and your entire OS is always duly updated.

Obviously, downloading pirated software is prohibited and may lead to important damage to be produced your system. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly recommended to reconsider your existing security software and potentially switch to another security solution that can render much better services of defending your system.

Screenshot of files with “.AKO” extension added by the ransomware:

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove AKO 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.