Remove Cipher Virus (.cipher Files Ransomware) – MedusaLocker Ransomware

Cipher – General Info

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

The message given by Cipher text file asking for the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives coming from the MedusaLocker family. It actually mentions that the information is encrypted which the only way to restore it is to use a an unique decryption key. Sadly, this is absolutely true. The kind of cryptography mechanism applied by Cipher is still not correctly examined. Still, it is absolutely particular that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is absolutely unique. It is difficult to restore the files without the key available.

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

Nevertheless, regardless of the requested amount, people should keep away from paying the virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to entirely ignore what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom usually does not provide any positive outcome and people just waste their money for nothing.

We highly 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 Cipher ransomware and to recover the information data free of charge. Thus, the only right decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

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

Keep in mind that the web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Cipher ransomware. Harmful programs of such kind are typically elaborated to encrypt essential data 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 unique decryption key for information decryption.

Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is just not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your crucial files is to regularly create backups of your important information.

Keep 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 Memory Stick or external hard disk drive for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you keep your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted together with other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are a number of methods used by online scams to distribute Cipher virus. Even though it doubts how exactly Cipher injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate 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.

Often Cipher virus might be presented as some legitimate software, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some crucial software updates. This is the common technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Cipher infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

Furthermore, the criminals might describe different e-mail spam strategies to inject destructive codes into systems. So, they may describe 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 files or clicking on such dangerous links may badly harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update notifies may result in Cipher virus injection. When it comes to the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise contain malicious codes leading to Cipher secret installation. Lastly, injection of Cipher may take place by ways of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and set up destructive utilities without the user’s permission.

Is there any way to avoid the injection of Cipher ransomware?

Despite the fact that there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your system from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we want to share with with you. Firstly, be really mindful when you surf the web and especially while downloading totally free programs. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Bear in mind that some freeware installers may include other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be malicious. Make certain that your current antivirus software and your entire OS is always duly updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is prohibited and may result in important damage to be produced your PC. Thus, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly advised to reconsider your existing security software and possibly switch to another security solution that can render much better services of defending your system.

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

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Cipher 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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