SNET Virus 🔐 (.SNET Files) — How to Remove?

The Snet virus falls under the ransomware type of infection. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, documents, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and appends its extra extension to every file, creating the DecryptNote.txt files in each 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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What is known about the Snet virus?

Snet appends its extra .SNet extension to the name of every encoded file. For instance, a file named “photo.jpg” will be altered to “photo.jpg.SNet”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will be renamed to “table.xlsx.SNet”, and so on.

In each directory with the encoded files, a DecryptNote.txt text file will be created. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this tool after contacting snetinfo@skiff.com via email. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Snet Overview:

The DecryptNote.txt file coming in package with the Snet malware provides the following dispiriting information:

Your Decryption ID: -


Your files are encrypted and We have stored your data on our servers,
including documents, databases, and other files,
and if you don\'t contact us, we\'ll extract your sensitive data and leak them.
Trust us, we know what data we should gather.


However, if you want your files returned and your data is secure from leaking,
contact us at the following email addresses:


snetinfo@skiff.com
snetinfo@cyberfear.com


(Remember, if we don\'t hear from you for a while, we will start leaking data)


>>>> What is the guarantee that we won\'t trick you?


You can send us two random small files in any format,
We will decrypt them for free and return it to you as a guarantee.


After you pay, we will send you decryption software and wipe all of your data.
Nobody will pay us in the future if we do not provide you with the decrypters
or if we do not remove your data after receiving payment.


We have no political goals and are not trying to harm your reputation.
This is our business. Money and our reputation are the only things that matter to us.
We attack businesses all throughout the world, and there has never been an unhappy victim after payment.

In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Snet looks like. Each filename has the “.SNet” extension appended to it.

An example of encrypted .SNet files.

How did my computer get infected with Snet ransomware?

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

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

• If you open your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a harmful file attached to them. Thus it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is an object that gets into your PC pretending to be something else. For instance, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some service. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that corrupts your data. As the update package can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The optimal way is to use 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 guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea 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 important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Snet virus will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your machine to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Snet 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 Snet 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 “Snet” 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 Snet 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 decode several of your files so you know that they do have the decryption program. Since Snet virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures developers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding tools are frequently upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.

Of course, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting someone’s essential files, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still risky. After getting the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports of racketeers simply vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The best 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 storage. Obviously, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all started. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.

There are other ransomware products, besides Snet, that work similarly. Examples of those are Press, Shiel, Wessy, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Snet are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encoded files.

Some lucky victims were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware experts. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decryption key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a bandits’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.

How to avoid ransomware infiltration?

Snet ransomware has no endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can armour your PC from its infiltration in several easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown mailers 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?). If the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the questionable letter with caution. A fake letter will surely contain mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often distributed as a part of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful armor for your personal computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 How can I open “.SNet” files?Is it possible to open“.SNet” files?

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

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

If the “.SNet” 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. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Snet malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with active threats. The malware that has infiltrated your device is must be still functional and it scans your system periodically to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has already been said, the Snet malware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your system in the future.

🤔 What to do if the Snet malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a flash memory card with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your machine. To suppress this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Many of the encoded files might still be at your disposal

• If you sent or received your critical files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to post those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud disks might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, mobile, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can employ file recovery programs¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you can do it only after you remove the virus with an antivirus program.

1. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.