How to remove Krypton ransomware

Krypton ransomware threatens to delete your files permanently

Krypton is a dangerous ransomware virus that sneakily invades your machine, encrypts all your files. After encryption, this HiddenTear^[1] based virus appends .kryptonite file extension to the targeted data and demands to pay the ransom in exchange for decryption software.

Krypton virus can affect a variety of popular files, including .doc, .exe, .xls, .jpg, .png, .gif, .mp3, .html and similar. Malware uses a sophisticated encryption algorithm to make files inaccessible by appending a specific file extension. Thus, after the attack, the file called “video.mpg” would be turned into “video.mpg.kryptonite.”

Following data encryption, malware places “KRYPTON_RANSOMWARE.txt” file into each folder that contains encrypted files, changes computer’s desktop picture and shows a pop-up message. The new wallpaper displays the following text:

All your files have been encrypted by Krypton Ransomware. Please pay 150$ USD in Bitcoin to us and we will decrypt your files. Not paying after one week (168 hours) will result in a loss of all your files.

Additionally, the pop-up window called “KryptonRansom -v1.0.10.2” appears. It explains what happened to your system (ironically, it apologizes for the inconvenience caused) and how to pay ransom in bitcoin cryptocurrency. It will place a timer for 168 hours, which, upon expiration, would delete your files permanently.

However, the wallpaper states the ransom demand is 150$ while the pop-up – 300$. Hence, it is very unclear what the actual requirement is. Regardless, we highly advise you not to engage with these cybercriminals^[2] as there is no guarantee that you will recover your files, even after paying the ransom.

Quite often, users are ignored and not provided with the promised decryption key. Hence, it is a waste of money and time. Additionally, it encourages hackers to create and distribute more ransomware.

Keep in mind that the only way to keep your data safe is to have an external backup source (like Cloud, for example). Hence, it is critical to back up your files regularly. If you have them, you can call yourself lucky because developers of the Krypton cannot cause you any harm. Otherwise, you are in trouble.

Unfortunately, there is no official software which would decrypt your files at the moment. However, at the end of the article, you can find our alternative suggestions that might help you to get back at least some of your files. But you should try them after Krypton removal.

In order to remove Krypton entirely, you have to uninstall the virus and all files or programs related to it using reputable and professional malware removal software. We recommend completing task using FortectIntego. However, you can choose your preferred software as well.

Stealthy virus spreads in various ways

There are many different ways ransomware can invade victims’ computer. Most common source for such infection is through spam e-mails. Users tend to be very careless when it comes to computer safety. Therefore, victims open the malicious e-mail and click on the attached file (various file types can be used, such as .doc, .xls, .txt, .zip and many others). To avoid that, users should always be vigilant while going through their mailbox.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks can be potentially dangerous as hackers might upload their virus as a file which might seem like free software, a security team from lesvirus.fr^[3] say. Therefore it is highly recommended avoiding third-party websites and only download software from official sites.

Additionally, fake updates and redirects can lead to ransomware infection. Therefore, we advise always downloading updates from official sources and be alert when being redirected to a third-party website. You should leave the suspicious websites immediately.

Krypton virus removal and file recovery

The very first step after the cyber attack is to remove Krypton virus from your machine. Afterwards, you can proceed with file recovery.

The Krypton ransomware is a severe infection so you should NOT try eliminating it manually. Please be aware that manual Krypton removal requires an in-depth knowledge of system files and registries. Otherwise, accidental Windows system files deletion could lead to permanent computer damage.

To proceed with Krypton ransomware removal, make sure you run a full system scan using FortectIntego or similar anti-malware software. Please be aware that ransomware virus might block the software to protect itself from deletion. Hence, you should use one of your guides which explains how to deal with this problem.

Once you delete Krypton, please proceed with the file recovery. As mentioned above, there is no official software capable of decrypting your files, but we suggest you some alternative ways which might help if you do not have backups.