The Trigona virus belongs with the ransomware type of infection. Harmful software of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, documents, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and appends its extra extension to every file, leaving the how_to_decrypt.hta files in every folder which contains the encrypted files.
Trigona virus: what is known so far?
☝️ A scientifically correct denomination for the Trigona would be “a ransomware infection”.
Trigona will append its extra ._locked extension to every file’s title. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg._locked”. Likewise, the Excel file with the name “table.xlsx” will end up as “table.xlsx._locked”, and so forth.
In each folder with the encrypted files, a how_to_decrypt.hta text document will be created. It is a ransom money note. 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 ransomware developers. That is it.
Trigona outline:
| Name | Trigona Virus |
| Extension | ._locked |
| Ransomware note | how_to_decrypt.hta |
| Detection | Crytex.Virus.FileInfector.DDS, Win32/Filecoder.OLC, Malware-Cryptor.InstallCore.5 |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a ._locked extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Trigona virus |
In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Trigona looks like. Each filename has the “._locked” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted ._locked files.
How did my computer get infected with Trigona ransomware?
There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware injection.
There are currently three most popular ways for criminals to have the Trigona virus planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer file transfer.
If you open your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malicious file enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus scheme1. A Trojan is an object that gets into your machine disguised as something else. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some software. But what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful agent that corrupts your data. As the installation package can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the things you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer networks 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 folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.
How do I get rid of the Trigona virus?
It is important to note that besides encrypting your files, the Trigona virus will most likely deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware2 can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Sometimes criminals would unblock some of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption program. Since Trigona virus is a relatively recent ransomware, security software developers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. However, the anti-ransomware instruments are constantly updated, so the solution may soon arrive.
Of course, if the criminals do the job of encrypting victim’s essential files, the desperate person will most likely comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports about criminals simply vanishing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.
The best 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. Of course, that might be not enough. Your most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.
Trigona is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are Tcvp, Kcvp, Fate, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Trigona are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: files become inaccessible, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in each folder containing encoded files.
Some lucky people were able to decode the arrested files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decoding key to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But obviously, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How to avoid ransomware infiltration?
Trigona ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, neither does any similar malware.
You can armour your computer from ransomware injection within three easy steps:
- Never open any emails from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, check all elements of the dubious letter with caution. A hoax email will surely contain mistakes.
- Never use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often spreaded as an element 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 may also have the functionality you need. You can try searching for information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
- And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful defense for your personal computer.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft3
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft4.
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 Trigona 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.
FAQ
🤔 How can I open “._locked” files?Can I somehow access “._locked” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “._locked” files are decrypted.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “._locked” files ASAP. How can I do that?
It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Trigona virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
Absolutely not! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete active threats from your computer. The ransomware that has attacked your PC is most likely still active and launching checks from time to time to encrypt any new files you might create on your computer after the initial attack. As it has been said above, the Trigona malware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your computer after some time.
🤔 What to do if the Trigona virus has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your computer. To suppress this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run upon system start. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What could help the situation right now?
Many of the encrypted 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 mailbox.
- You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to give those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, 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 computer, a notebook, cellphone, memory stick, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery utilities5 to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the video 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 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 TRIGONA Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: TRIGONA Virus
Description: TRIGONA Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific ._locked 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.
- You can read more on spyware variants and nature in the respective 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 Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
