MESSEC Ransomware 🔐 (.MESSEC File) — Removal Guide

The Messec virus belongs under the ransomware type of malicious agent. Malware of this type encrypts all the data on your computer (photos, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, creating the READ_ME.txt text files in every directory containing 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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Messec virus: what is known so far?

Messec will append its own .messec extension to the name of every encoded file. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be renamed to “photo.jpg.messec”. Likewise, the Excel table named “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.messec”, and so forth.

In every folder containing the encoded files, a READ_ME.txt file will appear. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is how they do it.

Messec Summary:

The READ_ME.txt document coming in package with the Messec ransomware provides the following discouraging information:

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 3 of your encrypted files and we decrypt it for free.

You must follow these steps To decrypt your files :   
1) Write us on session at: -

2) Obtain Bitcoin (You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins.
After payment we will send you the tool that will decrypt all your files.)

Price: 100$ within the first hour, then 25$ more each hour. If you do not pay within 48 hours all of your files will get leaked/sold on marketplaces, and all your copys will get permanantly deleted.

In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Messec looks like. Each filename has the “.messec” extension added to it.

That is how encrypted “.messec” files look.

How did my computer get infected with Messec ransomware?

There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most popular methods for hackers to have ransomware acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.

• If you open your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a viral item attached to them. So it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus model. A Trojan is a program that gets into your computer disguised as something else. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some software. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that compromises your data. As the installation wizard can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The optimal way is to use the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrents 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. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Messec virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your computer to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Messec 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 Messec 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 “Messec” 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 Messec 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 racketeers would decrypt some of your files so you know that they do have the decryption tool. Since Messec virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software engineers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the decoding tools are constantly updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.

Of course, if the hackers do the job of encrypting someone’s critical files, the hopeless person will most likely fulfill their demands. However, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After getting the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports of ransomware developers just vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.

The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud storage or at least on an external disk. Surely, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that one you were working upon when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Messec, that work similarly. For instance, Gyza, Gyew, Gycc, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Messec are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become encoded, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in each directory containing encrypted files.

Some lucky victims were able to decrypt the arrested files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decryption code to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.

How do I avoid ransomware infection?

Messec ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your computer from ransomware injection within three easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the questionable letter with caution. A fake letter will surely contain a mistake.
• Do not use cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often spreaded as an element of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy ones, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such programs at all.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful armor for your personal computer.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.messec” files?Can I somehow access “.messec” files?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.messec” files you will not be able to access them.

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

If the “.messec” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. 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. All other solutions require time.

🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Messec virus?

Of course not. Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.

With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your PC off the actual viruses. The malware that has infiltrated your computer is must be still active and it scans your system every so often to arrest any new files you might create on your PC after the initial attack. As it has already been said, the Messec virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your PC after some time.

🤔 What to do if the Messec virus has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.

If that happened, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or imported into your computer. To stop this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run upon system start. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Some of the encrypted files can be located elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files by email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to post those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a portable device, mobile, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can employ data recovery utilities¹ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests 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 can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an anti-malware program.

1. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.