Remove A1Lock ransomware / virus (Virus Removal Instructions) - Free Guide
A1Lock virus will encrypt your files and demand a ransom
A1Lock ransomware is a new Globe Imposter ransomware[1] version that uses .707 extension on encrypted files and creates a ransom note called RECOVER_FILES.html. The virus functions as an extortion tool that demands ransom in exchange for a data recovery software.
Once run, the malicious executable of the virus scan the entire computer system for target files. The malware has a list of file extensions that are main targets. Once the virus finds a file with a target extension, it corrupts the file using certain encryption algorithm. Once the A1Lock encrypts the file, it adds .707 extension after the original file extension to mark the file as corrupted one.
The last part of the attack involves the creation of the ransom note, also known as the file that holds data recovery instructions. The file contains victim’s personal ID and a link to a site that explains how to buy the decryptor. In order to access the website, the victim has to install a special browser called TOR.
The provided URL leads to a site that provides the helpme.zip file. The size of this file is 126.87kB. The file contains a decrypter, however, in order to access it, the victim has to pay 0.06 Bitcoin. At the moment of writing this post, the price of the decryptor was 152.22 US dollars. The ransom has to be transferred to a provided Bitcoin wallet address that collects payments from all A1Lock ransomware victims.
If you were attacked by this ransomware, we suggest you to clean your system from malicious files first. It is strongly recommended that you remove A1Lock virus ASAP. The removal can be completed using anti-malware program, and it won’t take you more than a half an hour to do it. Please, do not try to kill the virus manually because you can easily overlook some malicious files and leave the system with security vulnerabilities.
It is also important that you prepare your PC for A1Lock removal properly. To do it, we strongly recommend using instructions we made. These are given below the article.
A1Lock ransomware is distributed via spam that brings malicious Word documents. Once the victim enables content of such file, the ransomware infects the system and starts encrypting all files, adding .707 extensions to them on the way.
Distribution of Globe Imposter malware
Globe Imposter viruses, including A1Lock, are mostly distributed via malspam (also known as malicious spam). Be extremely careful when opening emails sent by strangers or companies that you didn’t have any business with lately. If you suspect something strange, do not click on links or email attachments that came with the message.
Cyber criminals tend to attach .ZIP files to emails, and sometimes they protect these files with a password. In such case, the password will be listed in the message body. Do not attempt to open these archives and especially files inside of them, despite their legitimate-looking names.
Even if it sounds surprising to you, a document (Word[2] or Excel) CAN contain a virus, because it can contain a malicious script that connects to a certain domain and downloads ransomware from it.
The ransomware has already affected many computers worldwide, especially in France. If you are a citizen from this country, you might be interested in Lesvirus.fr website[3] that provides information about computer security in French language.
Remove A1Lock ransomware virus
Do not delay A1Lock removal because deleting this virus is the only available option if you want to continue using your computer safely. Typically, the ransomware hides its components from the victim; besides, it has an ability to download additional malware to the system, so you need to uninstall all malware at once ASAP. For that, we highly recommend using anti-malware software.
However, to remove A1Lock virus, you will need to make sure that it won’t attempt to interrupt you from doing so. For this reason, we strongly recommend rebooting your computer in Safe Mode with Networking and starting the removal process from there. You can find a detailed explanation of the removal procedure down below.
To remove A1Lock virus, follow these steps:
Remove A1Lock using Safe Mode with Networking
Remove the virus while in Safe Mode with Networking. Use these instructions to complete the task faster.
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Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Networking
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 Safe Mode with Networking 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 Networking in Startup Settings window.
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Step 2: Remove A1Lock
Log in to your infected account and start the browser. Download Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego or other legitimate anti-spyware program. Update it before a full system scan and remove malicious files that belong to your ransomware and complete A1Lock removal.
If your ransomware is blocking Safe Mode with Networking, try further method.
Remove A1Lock 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 A1Lock. 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 A1Lock from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.Although it is not confirmed that Globe Imposter decrypter available now is capable of decrypting .707 file extension files, it is definitely worth a try. Therefore, we suggest getting the decrypter and using it on your encrypted files. If it doesn't work, try alternative methods listed below.
If your files are encrypted by A1Lock, you can use several methods to restore them:
Recommended tool: Data Recovery PRO
Data Recovery Pro is a recommended data recovery tool that may help you to restore corrupted data. To use it, you need to:
- 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 A1Lock ransomware;
- Restore them.
Use Globe Imposter Decryptor
Globe Imposter Decryptor may help you to recover your files. We strongly recommend deleting the virus before you even download this tool to your computer.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from A1Lock and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
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. It is a hassle when your website is protected from suspicious connections and unauthorized IP addresses.
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 server or network manager that need to monitor connections and activities. This is how you bypass some of the authentications factors and can remotely use your banking accounts without triggering suspicious with each login.
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. It is better to clock the access to your website from different IP addresses. So you can keep the project safe and secure when you have the dedicated IP address VPN and protected access to the content management system.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer various losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Software issues created by malware or direct data loss due to encryption can lead to problems with your device or permanent damage. When you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work.
It is crucial to create updates to your backups after any changes on the device, so you can get back to the point you were working on when malware changes anything or issues with the device causes data or performance corruption. Rely on such behavior and make file backup your daily or weekly habit.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware occurs out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the system restoring purpose.
About the author
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References
- ^ David Harley. Social engineering and ransomware. WeLiveSecurity. IT Security Site Covering the Latest News, Research, Cyber Threats and Malware Discoveries.
- ^ Bill Brenner. SophosLabs analysis: why the surge in Word docs hiding ransomware?. Naked Security. Computer Security News, Opinion, Advice.
- ^ LesVirus. LesVirus. Spyware, Malware Removal Guides in French language.
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