Proton Virus – Details
The Proton mean a ransomware-type infection. The virus comes from the Xorist ransomware family. Proton was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. Proton adds the “.PrOToN” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, when encrypted by Proton, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.PrOToN“. As quickly as the encryption is completed, Proton places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.The message given by Proton text file requesting for the ransom is absolutely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the Xorist type. It literally discusses that the info is encrypted and that the only way to bring back it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Regretfully, this is definitely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism applied by Proton is still not appropriately examined. Still, it is absolutely specific that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is totally distinct. It is impossible to restore the files without the key available.
Another technique of Proton is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is saved on a specific server run by the frauds connected with Proton ransomware. To get the key and recover the important info people need to pay the ransom.
Proton 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.
Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review, How to get free trial?, EULA, and Privacy Policy.
However, regardless of the requested quantity, people should stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to entirely ignore 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 outcome and people just lose 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 Proton ransomware and to recover the data data free of charge. Hence, the only best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.
Virus Summary
| Name | Proton Ransomware |
| File Extension | .PrOToN |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Family | Xorist |
| 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 PrOToN extension to all the files modified by it. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Removal Tool | GridinSoft Anti-Malware |
Bear in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Proton ransomware. Malicious programs of such kind are usually elaborated to encrypt essential data and to state the demand before the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to generate the unique decryption key for files decryption.
Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, by hand recovering the information is just not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your crucial data is to routinely create backups of your important information.
Remember 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 Memory Stick or external hard disk 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 in addition to other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage place.
How did ransomware infect my computer?
There are a number of ways used by online frauds to distribute Proton ransom virus. Even though it doubts how precisely Proton injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate 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.
Frequently Proton ransomware may exist as some legitimate software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some crucial software updates. This is the typical technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Proton infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.
Additionally, the criminals may refer to various email 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 photos, files, tax reports or invoices.
Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update informs may result in Proton ransom injection. As for the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include destructive codes resulting in Proton secret installation. Finally, injection of Proton may occur by means of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and install harmful utilities without the user’s consent.
Is there any method to avoid the injection of Proton ransom virus?
Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your system from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we wish to show with you. To start with, be very careful when you browse the web and particularly while downloading complimentary 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 include other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be malicious. Make sure that your current anti-virus and your entire OS is always duly updated.
Naturally, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may result in important damage to be produced your system. Thus, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also strongly advised to reconsider your existing security software and potentially switch to another security solution that can render much better services of defending your PC.
Screenshot of files with “.PrOToN” extension added by the ransomware:
Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Proton 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.
User Review
( votes)
