The Encrypto virus belongs to the ransomware type of infection. A harmful program of such sort encrypts all the data on your PC (photos, text files, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, creating the Encrypto.txt text files in each directory with the encrypted files.
Encrypto virus: what is known so far?
☝️ A strictly correct denomination for the Encrypto is “a ransomware-type infection”.
Encrypto will append its own .Encrypto extension to every file’s title. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be altered to “photo.jpg.Encrypto”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet named “table.xlsx” will end up as “table.xlsx.Encrypto”, and so forth.
In every directory with the encrypted files, a Encrypto.txt text document will be found. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is it.
Encrypto abstract:
| Name | Encrypto Virus |
| Extension | .Encrypto |
| Ransomware note | Encrypto.txt |
| Detection | Crytex.Virus.FileInfector.DDS, Win32/Filecoder.OLC, Malware-Cryptor.InstallCore.5 |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .Encrypto extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Encrypto virus |
In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Encrypto looks like. Each filename has the “.Encrypto” extension added to it.
That is how encrypted “.Encrypto” files look.
How did Encrypto ransomware end up on my PC?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most exploited ways for evil-doers to have the Encrypto virus planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer networks.
If you access your inbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a malware item attached to them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file model1. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your computer pretending to be something legal. For example, you download an installer for 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. As the update file can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The best way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of the Encrypto virus?
It is important to note that besides encrypting your files, the Encrypto virus will most likely deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Often tamperers would decode few of your files to prove that they really have the decryption tool. As Encrypto virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware designers have not yet found a way to undo its work. However, the decryption tools are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Understandably, if the evildoers succeed in encrypting someone’s critical data, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports about ransomware developers just vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.
The best solution against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud disk or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that file you were working upon when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also wise to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the system restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Encrypto, that work similarly. Examples of those are Mppn, Maos, Isal, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Encrypto are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: files become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes emerge in every folder containing encoded files.
Some lucky victims were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decoding code to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.
How do I avert ransomware infection?
Encrypto ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can defend your system from its injection within three easy steps:
- Ignore any letters from unknown senders with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious letter with caution. A fake email will surely have mistakes.
- Avoid using cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often shared as a part of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are very hard to tell from reliable ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try to find information about this program on the anti-malware forums, but the best solution is not to use such programs at all.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect shield for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.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.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your PC for Encrypto infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has finished, 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 How can I open “.Encrypto” files?Can I somehow access “.Encrypto” files?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.Encrypto” files first. Then you will be able to open them.
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Encrypto virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
Of course not. The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with real viruses. The ransomware that has attacked your computer is probably still functional and it scans your system from time to time to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the initial attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Encrypto virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide hackers with easy access to your system after some time.
🤔 What to do if the Encrypto ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a memory stick with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your computer. To suppress this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Many of the encrypted files might still be within your reach
- If you sent or received your important files by 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 pictures back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, 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 PC, a laptop, phone, flash memory, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery utilities4 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 use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the virus with an anti-malware program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental fraud and scam sites to report this attack:
- In the United States: On Guard Online;
- In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
- In the United Kingdom: Action Fraud;
- In Australia: SCAMwatch;
- In New Zealand: Consumer Affairs Scams;
- In France: Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information;
- In Germany: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik;
- In Ireland: An Garda Síochána;
To report the attack, you can contact local executive boards. For instance, if you live in USA, you can have a talk with FBI Local field office, IC3 or Secret Service.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove ENCRYPTO Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: ENCRYPTO Virus
Description: ENCRYPTO Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .Encrypto extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
