SHIEL Ransomware (.SHIEL File) 🔐 Virus Removal

The Shiel virus falls within the Dharma ransomware family. Harmful software of such sort encrypts all the data on your computer (photos, text files, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the README!.txt files in every directory with the encrypted files.

What is known about the Shiel virus?

☝️ Shiel is a Dharma family ransomware-type infection.

The pattern of renaming is this: .shiel. In the process of encryption, a file named, for instance, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.id-9ECFA84E.[00223@45312].shiel”.

In every folder with the encrypted files, a README!.txt text file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can obtain this tool after contacting [email protected], [email protected] by email. That is basically the scheme of the crime.

Shiel Overview:

The README!.txt document coming in package with the Shiel malware states the following:

Your data has been stolen and encrypted!

email us

[email protected] or [email protected] 

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

How did my computer get infected with Shiel ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most exploited methods for tamperers to have the Shiel virus planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.

• If you open your mailbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is unknown to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a viral item enclosed in them. So it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus model. A Trojan is a program that gets into your computer pretending to be something different. For instance, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some service. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encrypts your data. As the installation file can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat 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 websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove ransomware?

It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Shiel virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your computer to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.

How to avert ransomware infection?

Shiel ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can armour your computer from ransomware infiltration in three easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown senders with unknown addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (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, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious letter carefully. A fake letter will always contain mistakes.
• Do not use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are difficult to tell from reliable software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. You can try searching for information on this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best solution is not to use such software.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Is it possible to open “.shiel” files?

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

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.shiel” files ASAP. How can I do that?

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. 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. The rest of the methods require patience.

🤔 What should I do if the Shiel virus has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Some of the blocked files can be found elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared photographs 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 downloading them again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, cellphone, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can employ file recovery utilities² to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an anti-malware program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.