Angela Merkel ransomware / virus (Free Instructions)
Angela Merkel virus Removal Guide
What is Angela Merkel ransomware virus?
Hackers release Angela Merkel ransomware:
The recent discovery of the new Angela Merkel virus again proves that the social and cultural environments have impact and reflect even in malicious hacker creations. It is not the first time we hear about famous politician names being used to deliver ransomware. Just recently we have talked about Donald Trump ransomware which, luckily, wasn’t as successful as the President-elect Donald Trump in his presidential campaign. Angela Merkel ransomware has just appeared on the web, so the experts are not yet sure what this virus is capable off and what to expect from it. Nevertheless, some things can already be pieced together. For instance, after some investigation, the experts have found that the code of this particular virus is very similar to the one used by the Exotic ransomware which can suggest that either these viruses were created by the same hackers or that the code was simply replicated. It can also be expected that the hackers have used other components of the Exotic virus in the setup of Angela Merkel virus. If this is really the case, the files that this virus targets should be encrypted with AES and RSA algorithms and remain inaccessible until the ransomware victim buys the private data decryption key directly from the hackers. The crooks will try to persuade you that there is no other way to get your files back and if you reject their offer, you will never see your personals files again. Do not give in to this pressure — don’t send hackers any money. You cannot be certain if they will send you the decryption key and if this key will be effective in decrypting your files. Besides, by paying up, you only support hackers in creating more nasty cyber parasites. Thus, instead of trying to retrieve your files from the hackers, remove Angela Merkel ransomware and try out alternative data recovery techniques we present at the end of the article.
When infected with the virus, the computer starts operating a lot slower. After the whole encryption process is done, “Angela Merkel hat dich infected” pop-up with Angela Merkel’s picture shows up on the screen and orders the victim to pay 1200 Euros in Bitcoin to get the decryption key. The ransom note with further details can be found in every folder containing infected documents. Besides, every encrypted file will have the .angelamerkel extension added to them. Unfortunately, this extension, nor the encryption itself will be eliminated after Angela Merkel virus removal. Nevertheless, the virus seems to be still under development, so there is a great chance that its creators have left some cracks which might help bypass the encryption. Several strategies of alternative data recovery techniques are discussed at the end of the article. Before attempting any of these methods, though, make sure you scan your device with some professional antivirus software, for instance FortectIntego. Automatic antivirus tools will eliminate all the residue virus files and prevent the virus from bouncing back to your PC.
How can this virus breach into your computer?
There are several techniques that malware creators use to spread their malicious creations across the web. In the case of Angela Merkel infection, it can enter your computer: a) via a malicious email attachment, b) with the help of exploit kits, c) disguised as a software update. Despite the different possibilities, hackers favor the first infiltration method the most. That’s probably because it is the least effort-requiring technique of them all. The hackers simply have to come up with a convincing message and add the infected file at the end for the victim to download. Such notification are usually very convincing, so it might be difficult to differentiate potentially dangerous from the legitimate ones. Thus, keep your personal information safe from Angela Merkel and any other virus out there, by creating backup copies of your files.
How to remove Angela Merkel ransomware safely?
Don’t believe any word that Angela Merkel virus says. It only tries to trick you into believing that you have no other choice but to pay the criminals, when in reality, it is not true. You have options, and one of them is Angela Merkel ransomware removal. Restart your device in Safe Mode with Networking and carefully follow the steps presented in the virus decontamination below. Then, install or run the already existing anti-malware utility to remove Angela Merkel ransomware from your computer entirely.
Getting rid of Angela Merkel virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove Angela Merkel using System Restore
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Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
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Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
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Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
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Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
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Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
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Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
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When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Angela Merkel. After doing that, click Next.
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Now click Yes to start system restore.
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Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove Angela Merkel from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.If your files are encrypted by Angela Merkel, you can use several methods to restore them:
What are the advantages of recovering data using Data Recovery Pro
One of the main advantages of this technique is that this method is fast and automatic. This means that using it requires minimal effort as well as technical skill. This is especially useful for the less technically advanced users. Nevertheless, this method is powerful and can help recover some of the encrypted data.
- Download Data Recovery Pro;
- Follow the steps of Data Recovery Setup and install the program on your computer;
- Launch it and scan your computer for files encrypted by Angela Merkel ransomware;
- Restore them.
How can you use Windows Previous Versions feature for the data recovery?
Instructions on how to use Windows Previous Versions feature are presented below, but before you get to that, please try to remember whether you had the System Restore function enabled before the virus attack. If not, you can skip to some other data recovery method, because this one will be of no use to you.
- Find an encrypted file you need to restore and right-click on it;
- Select “Properties” and go to “Previous versions” tab;
- Here, check each of available copies of the file in “Folder versions”. You should select the version you want to recover and click “Restore”.
Do you have chances of recovering your data using ShadowExplorer?
If the virus has not eliminated any of the Volume Shadow Copies, the chances of data recovery using ShadowExplorer are valid. Give this method a try by following the guidelines below.
- Download Shadow Explorer (http://shadowexplorer.com/);
- Follow a Shadow Explorer Setup Wizard and install this application on your computer;
- Launch the program and go through the drop down menu on the top left corner to select the disk of your encrypted data. Check what folders are there;
- Right-click on the folder you want to restore and select “Export”. You can also select where you want it to be stored.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Angela Merkel and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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