Kozy.Jozy ransomware / virus (Virus Removal Instructions)
Kozy.Jozy virus Removal Guide
What is Kozy.Jozy ransomware virus?
Kozy.Jozy ransomware is a malicious computer threat that you should be aware of
Kozy.Jozy virus is a severe computer threat, and you should do everything to stop it from entering your PC. It belongs to crypto-ransomware family, which means that it is a file-encrypting virus. The way it works is rather simple. When the user executes Kozy.Jozy malware, it encrypts all data that has the following file extensions:
.cd, .ldf, .mdf, .odt, .ods, .odb, .odg, .bmp, .png, .max, .dbf, .epf, .1cd, .md, .pdf, .ppt, .doc, .arj, .tar, .7z, .rar, .xls, .zip, .tif, .jpg, .cdr, .psd, .jpeg, .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .accdb, .mdb, .rtf.
Encrypted data becomes useless as the user cannot open, use, or manipulate it in any way. The worst thing is that this virus runs the encryption process in the background without notifying the computer user, and the only thing that can seem suspicious is that the computer runs a bit slower than usually. As a result, the user does not have a change to interrupt or stop this virus anyhow. Kozy.Jozy ransomware adds unique file extensions to encrypted files, too; here is an example of it – .31392E30362E32303136_(random number from 0 to 20)_LSBJ1. It is worth noting that victims have also reported similar symbol combinations, so it might be that authors of this malware sell its code in dark web forums. Once the virus encrypts all files, and when there is nothing more to corrupt, it changes desktop wallpaper with the following image:
The message is written in the Russian language, and it claims that files have been encrypted with the RSA-2048 cipher. It is one of the most complicated ciphers to crack, so it means that it might be impossible to decrypt your data anytime soon. Besides, the virus deletes Volume Shadow Copies, so forget about them – this virus takes all necessary actions to frighten the user and make him pay the ransom. The ransom note says that the victim needs to get in touch with ransomware authors by sending a letter to kozy.jozy@yahoo.com email. The frauds will ask you to transfer them a considerable amount of money via Bitcoin payment system. Sadly, this might not help you to get your files back; therefore, we recommend you to remove Kozy.Jozy ransomware from your PC as soon as possible. Make sure you use a powerful anti-malware program for that, for example, FortectIntego.
How does this virus spread?
The vast of ransomware threats spread using same techniques. It seems that cyber criminals are not so creative at this point; typically, they send these viruses to victims via emails. For instance, they try to mask an executive file by adding .txt or .doc to its filename, for example, invoice.jpg.exe. We advise you not to open an email if you do not know the sender of it.
If you had accidentally installed a malicious Trojan into your computer a while ago, it could also be a reason why Kozy.Jozy got into your computer. Trojans can silently download malicious files to a compromised computer and execute them after some time. If you do not want your data to be encrypted, you should take particular security measures – secure your computer with an anti-malware software, backup your files, update your software, and avoid visiting untrustworthy websites and downloading content from them.
How to remove Kozy.Jozy?
We do not suggest removing Kozy.Jozy virus manually. It is not a simple program, but a malicious computer threat, which contaminates the computer system by placing malicious files everywhere. Unless you are an advanced programming expert, you might not be able to identify all these files. Remember that even remains of a virus pose a threat to computer and can cause various issues later. Therefore, it is advisable to use an anti-malware software to delete this virus from your computer. We recommend using FortectIntego to complete Kozy.Jozy removal.
Getting rid of Kozy.Jozy 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 Kozy.Jozy 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 Kozy.Jozy. 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.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Kozy.Jozy and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
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