How to remove Chekyshka ransomware

Chekyshka ransomware – a notorious virus that requires downloading Tor for successful data decryption

Chekyshka ransomware is a newly discovered malware strain that places a list of requirements for receiving the decryption key. The infiltration starts by modifying registry keys and other entries. Once the system is taken over, Chekyshka virus begins encrypting data with AES cipher^[1] and adding the .chekyshka marker to each document and file. Afterward, !!! CHEKYSHKA_DECRYPT_README.TXT message appears and claims about possible file decryption that will cost $1200 and all victims who are interested in this offer need to download the Tor web browser.^[2]

Emerging in the second part of June this year, Chekyshka has been targetting English speakers for bigger income. As you can see from the ransom note, a big amount of money is demanded. Such price might be not affordable for a big number of people. However, crooks want such ransom to be paid in Bitcoin and no coin less:

Your unique id: A0244D50B9034A419856CADBEE5DF40D 
You can buy a transcript of the $ 1,200 in bitcoin. 
But before you pay, you can be sure that we can really decipher any of your files. 
Encryption Key ID and unique to your computer, so you're guaranteed to be able to recover your files. 
Do this: 
1) Download and install the Tor Browser (https://www.torproject.org/download/) 
2) Open the Web page y7c5bdswtvcfbb2c6waotudyrwhvetxt5xzdkq5hyxnd7clpc3dernqd.onion to the Tor browser and follow the instructions.

If you download the Tor web browser and enter the given link, you will be provided with instructions on how to purchase Bitcoins and pay the criminals. Furthermore, these people try to trick victims by offering them free decryption of 3 or 5 files to prove that the Chekyshka ransomware decrypter really exists.

Chekyshka might be capable of performing a big variety of malicious activities at a time. Prevention of this is rebooting your computing to Safe Mode with Networking or opting for System Restore. If you do not know how to do that, you can find some guiding steps at the end of this article.

It is known that ransomware such as Chekyshka is capable of eliminating Shadow Volume Copies of encrypted data just to harden the decryption process for their victims. Indeed, it is very hard to recover files after such attack is no official decrypter is released. However, you still should not follow any ransom demands from these people.

Chekyshka ransomware spreaders might be not only hackers but scammers also. What they will supposedly do is collect money from you and run off while you remain hopeless without any decryption solution. Our recommendation would be to try some data recovery tips that we have provided below and do not forget to backup your data next time.

However, Chekyshka ransomware removal should be completed first as the recovery methods will not work if the cyber threat is still active. Also, we recommend using software such as FortectIntego for a full scan and malware identification. It is known that such cyber threats are capable of injecting other infections into the system unknowingly.

We want to say that you should NEVER postpone the elimination process of such dangerous virus. You need to remove Chekyshka ransomware without any hesitation to avoid further damage. Once the malware takes full control of your computer system, it might be too late to save anything that is placed on the machine.

Email spam campaigns are likely to be filled with malware

There are a lot of locations on the Internet sphere that can be misused for malware distribution. However, email spam is the most popular technique for spreading ransomware and similar infections.^[3] Crooks who deal with such business tend to drop suspicious-looking email messages that contain infectious attachments.

Usually, such emails can be recognized by a bunch of grammar and style mistakes. Also, the sender's email often appears to be something rogue. However, in some cases, criminals might pretend to come from reputable organizations. If you receive such message and are not sure about its safety, you should bring anti-malware for help.

We recommend scanning each clipped document or file that comes with the email just to be sure that nothing malicious is hiding there. Moreover, avoiding peer-to-peer networks, gambling and porn websites will also decrease the possibility of catching a ransomware infection through third-party sources.

Successful malware elimination: remove Chekyshka ransomware with reliable software

According to computer experts from NoVirus.uk,^[4] ransomware viruses are one of the most dangerous malware forms that cannot be joked about. This is the main reason why manual Chekyshka ransomware removal is not an option. By performing actions by yourself, you might make more damaging mistakes and cause severe machine damage.

However, you can truly succeed in the elimination process if you decide to remove Chekyshka ransomware with reliable anti-malware. Besides, we offer to download and install tools such as FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes to locate all malicious objects and be sure that no suspicious entries are left through which the ransomware might appear again.

It is known that malware such as Chekyshka leaves malicious components all over the system. This could be malware-laden entries in the Windows Registry or damaging processes in the Task Manager. Note that all ransomware-related objects need to be removed at once, otherwise, you will not be able to repair your system properly.