GHOST Virus – Details
The GHOST mean a ransomware-type infection. GHOST was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. When the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. GHOST adds the “.ghost” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, once encrypted by GHOST, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.ghost“. As quickly as the encryption is finished, GHOST places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.The message given by GHOST text file requesting for the ransom is absolutely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives. It literally discusses that the information is encrypted which the only way to restore it is to use a a special decryption key. Regretfully, this is absolutely true. The type of cryptography mechanism applied by GHOST is still not properly examined. Still, it is absolutely particular that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is absolutely unique. It is difficult to bring back the files without the key available.
Another technique of GHOST is that the victims cannot access to the key. The key is saved on a particular server run by the frauds connected with GHOST ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people need to pay the ransom.
GHOST encrypted your documents, but that might not be the only damage done to you. The ransomware might still be hidingon your computer. To identify whether this holds true, we suggest downloading GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
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However, irrespective of the asked for quantity, people should stay 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 lose their money for nothing.
We highly advise 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 GHOST 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 | GHOST Ransomware |
| File Extension | .ghost |
| Type | Ransomware |
| 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 ghost extension to all the files modified by it. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Removal Tool | GridinSoft Anti-Malware |
Bear in mind that the web is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to GHOST ransomware. Malicious programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt essential data and to state 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 unique decryption key for data decryption.
Hence, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is simply not feasible. The only method 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 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 store your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted together with other files, so it’s definitely not a good storage location.
How did ransomware infect my PC?
There are a number of ways used by online frauds to distribute GHOST ransomware. Even though it is uncertain how precisely GHOST injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:
- integration with third-party apps, especially freeware;
- spam emails from unknown senders;
- websites rendering free hosting services;
- pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.
Often GHOST ransomware may exist as some legitimate software, for example, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some important software application updates. This is the typical trick used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing GHOST infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.
Furthermore, the criminals may refer to numerous email spam tactics to inject malicious codes into systems. So, they may refer to to sending unsolicited spam emails 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 files or clicking on such dangerous links may badly damage the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade notifies may result in GHOST virus injection. When it comes to the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise consist of harmful codes leading to GHOST secret installation. Lastly, injection of GHOST may occur by methods of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and install malicious utilities without the user’s approval.
Is there any way to prevent the injection of GHOST ransom virus?
Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we wish to show with you. Firstly, be really cautious 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.
Keep in mind that some freeware installers may include other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be malicious. Make sure that your current antivirus software and your entire operating system is always duly updated.
Naturally, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may lead to vital damage to be produced your system. Thus, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise highly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps change to another security solution that can render better services of protecting your system.
Screenshot of files with “.ghost” extension added by the ransomware:
Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove GHOST ransomware from your computer
1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
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.
