RansomwareRemoval Guide

Remove POPOTICUS Virus (+Decrypt .popoticus files) – GarrantyDecrypt Ransomware

POPOTICUS – General Info

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

The message given by POPOTICUS text file requesting for the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the GarrantyDecrypt type. It actually discusses that the info is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a an unique decryption key. Regretfully, this is absolutely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism used by POPOTICUS is still not properly examined. Still, it is definitely certain that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is completely unique. It is difficult to restore the files without the key available.

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

However, regardless of the requested amount, people need to stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally 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 just waste their money for nothing.

We strongly recommend that you do not contact these crooks and definitely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack POPOTICUS ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Thus, the only best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

NamePOPOTICUS Ransomware
File Extension.popoticus
TypeRansomware
FamilyGarrantyDecrypt
Short DescriptionThe 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.
SymptomsFile 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 popoticus extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution MethodSpam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool  GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Remember that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to POPOTICUS ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are typically elaborated to encrypt essential data 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 similar algorithm to generate the special decryption key for data decryption.

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

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they must be placed into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the USB Flash Drive 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 in addition to 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 scams to distribute POPOTICUS ransomware. Despite the fact that it doubts how precisely POPOTICUS injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:

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

Typically POPOTICUS ransomware might exist as some legitimate software, for instance, in the pop-ups instructing users to carry out some essential software updates. This is the typical technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing POPOTICUS infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

Furthermore, the criminals may refer to different email spam strategies to inject malicious codes into systems. So, they may refer to 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 encouraging users to open some photos, files, 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 upgrade notifies may result in POPOTICUS ransom injection. When it comes to the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may also contain destructive codes resulting in POPOTICUS secret installation. Lastly, injection of POPOTICUS may happen by means of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and set up destructive tools without the user’s consent.

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

Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your system from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we want to share with with you. Firstly, be extremely careful when you surf the web and particularly while downloading complimentary apps. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Remember that some freeware installers may contain other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be harmful. Make certain that your current antivirus and your entire operating system is always appropriately updated.

Obviously, downloading pirated software is prohibited and may lead to essential damage to be produced your system. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also highly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and possibly switch to another security solution that can render far better services of defending your PC.

Screenshot of files with “.popoticus” extension added by the ransomware:POPOTICUS Ransomware - encrypt files with .popoticus extension

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove POPOTICUS 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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Start

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

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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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