How to remove Kirk ransomware virus

Sci-fi geeks try on ransomware — release the Kirk virus

Kirk virus is a Star Trek-themed ^[1] cyber infection which belongs to the crypto-ransomware ^[2] category. This essentially means that when this virus infects a computer, it starts scanning it for certain types of files and encrypts them using a complex algorithm. Though such encryption principle is typical to most viruses of this particular category, Kirk cannot be regarded as a completely conventional ransomware. In fact, this malware has hit the internet with a bang as one of the first extortion programs to base its ransom payment system on cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. In particular, Kirk utilizes Monero — cryptocurrency which has been steadily growing in popularity within the past year and now has a market cap of around 302,294,761 USD ^[3]. It is unclear why the hackers have picked this particular currency which stands fourth in the global ranking, but such a choice is simply destined to cause confusion among the victims. Even Bitcoins which are the number one cryptocurrency out there are not the easiest item to get your hands on, especially if you are unfamiliar with such payment system and encounter it for the first time. So, it might be that by attempting to be original the extortionists have simply undermined themselves. This may also be the reason why this virus is currently plateauing. Although there are no known Kirk ransomware victims so far, you can never know when the malware is going to burst. That is why we recommend to be prepared for Kirk removal and obtain antivirus software that would manage to weed this parasite out of your system. FortectIntego is one of the reputable software you should try.

The virus draws malware experts’ attention for a number of reasons, and the use of Star Trek themes in its ransom note as well as the utilization of Monero cryptocurrency for the ransom payments are just a few of them. We should point out the fact that the virus disguises itself as Low Orbital Ion Cannons tool ^[4] and runs on the infected computers as a loic_win32.exe process. It even fakes LOIC’s notifications to trick users into thinking that this software is initiating on their computers. In the meanwhile, virus scans the computer looking for more than 625 types of files and encrypts them with a public AES key ^[5]. In addition, every encrypted file will be appended with .kirked extensions while the virus will drop a ransom note called RANSOM_NOTE.txt on every affected folder to instruct the victim how to decrypt them. Of course, the decryption is not possible without the private key. The extortionists deploy an encrypted variant of this key in the file called “pwd” which will be stored on the computer in case the victim decides to pay the ransom. In such a case, the victim is asked to transfer around 1100 dollars in Monero currency to the criminals’ and then send the transaction ID along with the mentioned pwd file to kirk.help@scryptmail.com or kirk.payments@scryptmail.com email address. When these steps are completed, the criminals promise to supply the victim with special decrypter called Spock which will supposedly unlock the private key stored in the pwd file and allow data recovery. Needless to say, collaborating with cyber criminals is the last thing you should do, so we recommend leaving this option for last. Instead, you can try recovering your files by following free guidelines our experts have provided below the article. If you do not have any important data stored on your computer, simply remove Kirk from your computer and fix this issue.

Obscure distribution tactics

Since this virus has appeared on the web quite recently, it is still rather early to say what particular practices does this virus choose for the malware distribution. Since there have been no recorded cases of Kirk attacks, it might be that the virus variant that emerged on the web is just a test version not meant to be widely distributed at all. Nevertheless, our team of experts is keeping a close watch of this virus and will inform you as soon as Kirk distribution takes a more defined form.

Kirk removal and PC recovery:

Kirk virus is currently undecryptable but this does not mean it has to stay on your computer as for as long as the malware experts are working on the free decrypter. You can backup the encrypted data and clean up your computer from this malware. After you remove Kirk, you will be able to use your computer without a fear of your files being encrypted once again. Please do not attempt to tackle the virus yourself. Believe us — it equals jumping empty-handed in front of a furious bull. That’s why you should allow specialized software to deal with the Kirk removal. In the guidelines below you will learn how to achieve the best results.