Cephalo Virus Removal Guide (+Decode .ceph files) – HiddenTear Ransomware

Cephalo Virus – Details

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

The message given by Cephalo text file requesting for the ransom is absolutely the same as the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the HiddenTear clan. It actually points out that the info is encrypted and that the only way to bring back it is to use a an unique decryption key. Regretfully, this is absolutely true. The kind of cryptography mechanism applied by Cephalo is still not properly examined. Still, it is definitely particular that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is totally unique. It is difficult to bring back the files without the key available.

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

Nonetheless, regardless of the requested quantity, people should keep away from paying the ransom virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to entirely disregard what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom generally does not provide any positive result and people simply waste their money for absolutely nothing.

We strongly advise that you do not contact these crooks and certainly do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack Cephalo ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Hence, the just best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	Cephalo Ransomware
File Extension	.ceph
Type	Ransomware
Family	HiddenTear
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 ceph 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 Cephalo ransomware. Harmful programs of such kind are typically elaborated to encrypt essential data and to set forth the need prior to the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to produce the unique decryption key for data decryption.

Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, by hand recovering the information is simply not feasible. The only way to prevent the loss of your important information is to frequently create backups of your important information.

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they must be placed into a special storage utility not connect to your main computer. You may use the USB Memory Stick 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 in addition to other files, so it’s definitely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my PC?

There are several methods used by online frauds to distribute Cephalo ransom virus. Despite the fact that it is uncertain how precisely Cephalo injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate 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 Cephalo virus might exist as some legitimate software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to execute some crucial software application updates. This is the typical trick used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Cephalo infection manually, by means of their direct participation in the installation process.

Additionally, the criminals might describe various email spam techniques to inject harmful codes into copmuter. 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 motivating users to open some photos, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may severely harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update alerts may result in Cephalo ransom injection. When it comes to the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may also consist of malicious codes causing Cephalo secret installation. Finally, injection of Cephalo may take place by means of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and set up harmful utilities without the user’s consent.

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

Although there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your system from getting infected, there are some pieces of recommendations we want to share with with you. First of all, be extremely cautious when you surf the web and specifically while downloading totally free apps. 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 include other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be malicious. Make certain that your current anti-virus and your entire OS is always appropriately updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may lead to essential damage to be made for your system. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also strongly advised to reconsider your existing security software and potentially change to another security solution that can render much better services of protecting your computer.

Below please find the quotation from the Cephalo text file:

- // -
Your files, personal data and identity are now being held for ransom.
This campaign is targeted at pedophiles worldwide, exposing those who are downloading and sharing child pornography.
If the ransom is not paid, your data will never be recovered and you will be exposed to the world.
- // -
Your sensitive files have been encrypted and uploaded to our Tor Hidden Service and will soon be analyzed by our team.
Your files will soon be presented together with your personal data (name, address and contact information), screen captures and webcam captures (if present) to the appropriate authorities and will soon after be released publicly across several platforms.
In order to cease our team from contacting the authorities and releasing the data publicly, a payment is required.
You have up to 72 hours to complete payment, during this time your files and personal data will be prepared for public exposure.
- // -
Requested Amount: 125 USD (current equivalent in Bitcoin).
Payment is demanded in Bitcoin, a form of electronic cash.
Bitcoin Payment Address: --> 193kt6VwHgoedmq7Vpme2EeAmovCobkfBN   <--
- // -
Gathered information is inclusive of; all documents, images, videos and archives found on the system (including removable devices). Browser data such as; browsing/download history, active logins, form/search history and cookies. Screen captures and webcam captures (if present at time of data collection). Storage devices have also been mined for deleted data using recovery tools.
- // -
https://virtualglobaltaskforce.com/operations/
https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas-and-trends/crime-areas/child-sexual-exploitation
https://www.interpol.int/Crimes/Crimes-against-children
- // -

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

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Cephalo 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.