Remove Makop Virus (+Decrypt .[makop@airmail.cc].makop files) – Phobos Ransomware

Makop – General Info

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

The message given by Makop text file requesting for the ransom is definitely the same as the statements given by other ransomware representatives belonging to the Phobos clan. It literally discusses that the information is encrypted which the only way to restore it is to use a an unique decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The kind of cryptography mechanism applied by Makop is still not correctly examined. Still, it is absolutely specific that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is completely unique. It is impossible to restore the files without the key available.

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

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

We strongly 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 Makop ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Therefore, the only right decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	Makop Ransomware
File Extension	.[makop@airmail.cc].makop
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 [makop@airmail.cc].makop extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Similar Infections	Bablo, Calum, Deuce
Removal Tool	GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Remember that the world wide web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Makop ransomware. It is similar Bablo and many other ransomware-type threats. Malicious programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt important 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 comparable algorithm to create the special decryption key for files decryption.

Thus, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is merely not feasible. The only way to avoid the loss of your essential data is to routinely create backups of your important information.

Keep 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 Flash Drive 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 along with other files, so it’s definitely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my PC?

There are numerous ways used by online frauds to distribute Makop ransomware. Despite the fact that it is uncertain how exactly Makop injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:

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

Typically Makop virus might exist as some legitimate software, for example, in the pop-ups advising users to execute some crucial software application updates. This is the common technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Makop infection manually, by means of their direct participation in the installation process.

In addition, the criminals might describe different email spam strategies to inject harmful codes into systems. So, they may describe to sending unsolicited spam emails with tricky notices promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones motivating users to open some video, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade alerts may result in Makop virus injection. As for the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise consist of destructive codes causing Makop secret installation. Finally, injection of Makop may occur by ways of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and install destructive tools without the user’s approval.

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

Despite the fact that there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we want to share with with you. First of all, be really mindful when you surf the web and especially while downloading free apps. 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 consist of other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be destructive. Ensure that your current antivirus and your entire OS is always duly updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is illegal and may result in essential damage to be produced your system. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly advised to reconsider your existing security software and potentially switch to another security solution that can render better services of defending your Windows.

Below please find the quotation from the Makop text file:

::: Greetings :::


Little FAQ:
.1.
Q: Whats Happen?
A: Your files have been encrypted and now have the \"makop\" extension. The file structure was not damaged, we did everything possible so that this could not happen.

.2.
Q: How to recover files?
A: If you wish to decrypt your files you will need to pay in bitcoins.

.3.
Q: What about guarantees?
A: Its just a business. We absolutely do not care about you and your deals, except getting benefits. If we do not do our work and liabilities - nobody will cooperate with us. Its not in our interests.
To check the ability of returning files, you can send to us any 2 files with SIMPLE extensions(jpg,xls,doc, etc... not databases!) and low sizes(max 1 mb), we will decrypt them and send back to you. That is our guarantee.

.4.
Q: How to contact with you?
A: You can write us to our mailbox: makop@airmail.cc

.5.
Q: How will the decryption process proceed after payment?
A: After payment we will send to you our scanner-decoder program and detailed instructions for use. With this program you will be able to decrypt all your encrypted files.

.6.
Q: If I donít want to pay bad people like you?
A: If you will not cooperate with our service - for us, its does not matter. But you will lose your time and data, cause only we have the private key. In practice - time is much more valuable than money.

:::BEWARE:::
DON\'T try to change encrypted files by yourself!
If you will try to use any third party software for restoring your data or antivirus solutions - please make a backup for all encrypted files!
Any changes in encrypted files may entail damage of the private key and, as result, the loss all data.

Screenshot of files with “.[makop@airmail.cc].makop” extension added by the ransomware:

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Makop 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.