MuskOff Virus – Details
The MuskOff mean a ransomware-type infection. The virus comes from the Chaos ransomware family. MuskOff was elaborated specifically to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. MuskOff adds the “.MuskOff” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, as soon as encrypted by MuskOff, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.MuskOff“. As soon as the encryption is finished, MuskOff places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.The message given by MuskOff text file requesting the ransom is definitely the same as the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the Chaos type. It literally points out that the information is encrypted and that the only way to bring back it is to use a a special decryption key. Sadly, this is absolutely true. The type of cryptography mechanism applied by MuskOff is still not appropriately examined. Still, it is definitely certain that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is absolutely unique. It is impossible to restore the files without the key available.
Another trick of MuskOff is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is kept on a particular server run by the frauds connected with MuskOff ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people need to pay the ransom.
MuskOff 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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Nevertheless, irrespective of the requested amount, people must stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally ignore what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom usually does not give any positive result and people just lose their money for absolutely nothing.
We strongly encourage 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 MuskOff ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Therefore, the just best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.
Virus Summary
| Name | MuskOff Ransomware |
| File Extension | .MuskOff |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Family | Chaos |
| 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 MuskOff extension to all the files modified by it. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Removal Tool | GridinSoft Anti-Malware |
Keep in mind that the world wide web is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to MuskOff ransomware. Malicious programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt important 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 comparable algorithm to produce the special 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 just not feasible. The only way to prevent the loss of your crucial data 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 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 in addition to other files, so it’s definitely not a good storage place.
How did ransomware infect my computer?
There are several methods used by online scams to distribute MuskOff ransomware. Even though it doubts how exactly MuskOff injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:
- integration with third-party apps, especially freeware;
- spam emails from unknown senders;
- sites rendering free hosting services;
- pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.
Typically MuskOff virus may exist as some genuine software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some crucial software application updates. This is the common technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing MuskOff infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.
In addition, the criminals might refer to various email spam strategies to inject destructive codes into systems. 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 motivating users to open some photos, documents, tax reports or invoices.
Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly damage the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update informs may result in MuskOff ransom injection. When it comes to the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may also consist of harmful codes causing MuskOff secret installation. Finally, injection of MuskOff may take place by methods of Trojans that secretly get injected into the system and install harmful tools without the user’s permission.
Is there any way to avoid the injection of MuskOff ransomware?
Even though there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of advice we wish to share with with you. First of all, be extremely mindful when you browse the web and particularly while downloading 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 consist of other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be malicious. Ensure that your current antivirus software and your entire operating system is always appropriately updated.
Naturally, downloading pirated software is illegal and may result in necessary damage to be made for your PC. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise highly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps switch to another security solution that can render much better services of defending your PC.
Screenshot of files with “.MuskOff” extension added by the ransomware:
Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove MuskOff 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.
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