How to remove RAA-SEP ransomware virus

How destructive is RAA-SEP virus?

These few summer weeks of June have been a short break for the Internet community from ransomware assaults. However, not for long. RAA-SEP virus is one of the recent virtual threats which cause the most ruckus – it encrypts personal information with the cryptographically strong algorithm, and the only choice seems to pay the ransom. At least, it’s what hackers say. Nonetheless, we do not recommend you to behave according to cyber criminals’ expectations. What you should do is to start RAA-SEP removal. Install FortectIntego to assist you in the elimination process.

Unlike recently booming viruses, gerkaman@aol.com, Ecovector, created by the same hacker group who prefers using a similar email address, this one virus seems to be a newbie programmed by other cyber criminals. Alternatively known as RAA virus, the threat seems to target the Russian-speaking users. However, you should not ward off the idea that the virus does not knock on the doors of your operating system. The ransom note, which comes as !!!README!!!.rtf file declares that all the personal files are locked out using an AES-256 algorithm. This and other variation of AES – 128 – has been a popular tool in the process of creating a ransom. Since the information is encoded with the public key, in order to unlock it, a unique numeric private key is required.

Furthermore, victims are supposed to send their personal ID number which is automatically assigned, once RAA-SEP malware takes over the computer, to a respective email address – raa-consult1@keemail.me. Before you hope to recover the files, the hackers give you a one week to pay the ransom to recover the files. They demand 250 dollars for the decryption key. Cyber criminals try to convince you to make the transaction soon by granting you the chance to try RAA-SEP decryptor. It unlocks a few files.

Though the ransom sum of RAA-SEP ransomware is quite average, you should not pay the money. For Russian citizens, the hackers provide a link to purchase Bitcoins in rubles. All in all, though some of the users may rush to remit the payment, there are no guarantees that hackers will keep their word of returning the files. Instead, you may try using PhotoRec or R-studio, which should help recover at least the majority of encrypted information.

The distribution of the ransomware

Before we proceed to the section where will introduce how to remove RAA-SEP, it is crucial to know how this threat spreads. Internet users, @JAMES_MHT and @benkow_, who have detected this malware, found it spreading via spam attachments. It has been a prevalent method for the recent viruses as well. Though users have become more aware of the dangers of opening an unknown email, there is still a significant number of users who carelessly open up the emails which are seemingly sent from governmental institutions.

For example, recently rampaging Cerber, distributes an infected voicemail, which is supposedly sent from Microsoft Exchange Server. Thus, if you happen to get an email from a delivery company which urges to review the delivery information provided in an attached file or similar scenario, do not recklessly open it. It is likely that the attachment covers RAA ransomware.

RAA-SEP removal guidelines

This virus poses a big challenge for IT specialists. If you do not specialize in programming sphere, the only reliable way to remove RAA-SEP virus is to run a system scan using an anti-spyware application. It is apt to locate ransomware related files. After you succeed in getting rid of RAA-SEP virus, you should think about the possible options for keeping your files. We recommend using USB sticks or DVDs or data storage alternatives. Lastly, the most effective way to restore the encrypted files is a to find the back-ups. Thus, develop a habit regularly backing your most important files.