BLACKOUTWARE Ransomware 🔐 (.BLO File) — Removal Guide

The Blackoutware virus falls within the ransomware type of infection. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all the data on your PC (photos, text files, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, creating the !!!WARNING!!!.txt files in every folder with the encrypted files.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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Blackoutware virus: what is known so far?

Blackoutware will add its extra .blo extension to the title of each encrypted file. For example, a file entitled “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.blo”. Likewise, the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.blo”, and so on.

In each folder containing the encrypted files, a !!!WARNING!!!.txt file will appear. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can obtain this decryptor after contacting blackout@cumallover.me via email. That is it.

Blackoutware Overview:

In the image below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Blackoutware looks like. Each filename has the “.blo” extension appended to it.

That is how encrypted “.blo” files look.

How did my computer get infected with Blackoutware ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most exploited ways for malefactors to have the Blackoutware virus working in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• If you access your mailbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malware item enclosed in them. So it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your machine pretending to be something legal. For example, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encrypts your data. Since the update file can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The best thing is to use the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.

How to remove ransomware?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your data, the Blackoutware virus will probably deploy Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Blackoutware with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware

We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common Ransomware as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove Blackoutware as well as other malware hiding on your computer.

To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:

1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.

2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.

3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.

4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.

Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.

5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.

6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.

8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.

Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.

Trojan Killer for “Blackoutware” removal on locked PC

In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.

There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.

Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.

Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:

1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.

2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.

3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.

4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.

Step 2: Update Signature Databases:

5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.

6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.

Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:

7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.

8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.

9. Insert the USB flash drive.

10. Run tk.exe

11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.

Step 4: Remove Found Threats:

12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.

13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.

14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer:

15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.

16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.

Congratulations on effectively removing Blackoutware and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.

Sometimes criminals would decrypt several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption tool. Since Blackoutware virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware designers have not yet found a way to undo its work. However, the decryption instruments are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.

Understandably, if the evildoers do the job of encoding someone’s essential data, the hopeless person will most likely fulfill their demands. However, paying to criminals gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports about ransomware developers just vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud storage or at least on an external disk. Surely, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that file you were working upon when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.

Blackoutware is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are Messec, Gyza, Gyew, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Blackoutware are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become inaccessible, their extensions changed, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate users were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-malware experts. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But naturally, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avert ransomware infiltration?

Blackoutware ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can defend your computer from ransomware injection in several easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, check all elements of the suspicious letter with caution. A hoax email will surely have mistakes.
• Never use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often distributed as a part of cracked software, possibly under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are difficult to tell from reliable ones, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. Try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such programs at all.
• And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect defense for your PC.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.blo” files?Are the “.blo” files accessible?

Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.blo” files first. Then you will be able to open them.

🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Blackoutware virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

No way! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will remove actual infections from your PC. The malware that has attacked your computer is probably still active and running scans periodically to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has been mentioned above, the Blackoutware ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your PC in the future.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Blackoutware virus has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

If that happened, you need to have a memory stick with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your system. To stop this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Some of the encrypted data can be found elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to send those images back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, cellphone, external storage, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery programs¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the ransomware itself with an anti-malware program.

1. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.