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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

🤔 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.