Remove Petra Virus (+Decrypt .petra files) – Cyborg Ransomware

Petra Virus Ransomware

The Petra mean a ransomware-type infection. The infection comes from the Cyborg ransomware family. Petra was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. When the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. Petra adds the “.petra” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, when encrypted by Petra, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.petra“. As soon as the encryption is completed, Petra places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by Petra text file asking for the ransom is absolutely the same as the statements given by other ransomware representatives belonging to the Cyborg type. It literally points out that the info is encrypted which the only way to restore it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Sadly, this is definitely true. The type of cryptography mechanism applied by Petra is still not correctly examined. Still, it is absolutely particular that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is completely distinct. It is difficult to bring back the files without the key available.

Another technique of Petra is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is stored on a particular server run by the frauds connected with Petra ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people have to pay the ransom.

However, regardless of the requested amount, people must stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are unfair, so they tend to totally disregard what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom normally does not provide any positive result and people just waste their money for absolutely 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 Petra ransomware and to recover the data data for free. Hence, the just best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	Petra Ransomware
File Extension	.petra
Type	Ransomware
Family	Cyborg
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 petra 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 comparable to Petra ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are usually elaborated to encrypt essential information and to state 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 create the unique 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 just not feasible. The only way to avoid the loss of your crucial files is to routinely create backups of your important information.

Remember that even if you create such backups, they need to be placed into a special storage utility not connect to your main computer. You may use the Memory Stick or external hard 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 absolutely not a good storage place.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are a number of methods used by online scams to distribute Petra ransom virus. Although it is uncertain how precisely Petra injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

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

Frequently Petra ransomware might exist as some legitimate software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to carry out some important software updates. This is the common trick used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Petra infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.

Furthermore, the criminals might refer to various e-mail spam techniques 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 receipts, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly damage the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update alerts may result in Petra ransom injection. When it comes to the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may also include destructive codes causing Petra secret installation. Lastly, injection of Petra may occur by methods of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and set up destructive utilities without the user’s consent.

Is there any method to avoid the injection of Petra ransom virus?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we want to show with you. First of all, be really careful when you browse the web and especially while downloading complimentary 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 destructive. Ensure that your current antivirus and your entire OS is always duly updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is illegal and may lead to necessary damage to be made for your system. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also strongly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps switch to another security solution that can render better services of protecting your PC.

Below please find the quotation from the Petra text file:

------------------------ALL YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED BY CYBORG RANSOMWARE------------------------

Don\'t worry, you can return all your files!

All your files like documents, photos, databases and other important are encrypted 

What guarantees do we give to you? 

You can send one of your encrypted file and we decrypt it for free. 

You must follow these steps To decrypt your files : 

1) Send $300 bitcoin to wallet :9e3d4e3fad796f4eb15962b74fb2e55fe47 

2) write on our e-mail :petra-mail.ru 

Your personal ID 

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

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Petra 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.