How to remove Monro ransomware

Monro ransomware is the third variant of file-locking Dharma virus discovered in the same week 

Monro ransomware is a cryptovirus that encrypts victims' data and adds .monro file extension. This is the third variant of Dharma ransomware and was discovered in September 2018. Ransomware^[1] is a cyber threat that infiltrates the system silently and starts to encrypt personal files using army-grade encryption algorithms. When your photos, documents, videos, music files or archives get locked, Monro ransomware drops a ransom note and places FILES ENCRYPTED.txt and Info.hta on every folder. These files contain a ransom demand and more details about the attack, including the contact email icrypt@cock.li. Visually, the ransom note looks identical in all variants of the virus, with minor variations, while file extension and contact emails vary.

Monro ransomware seems to be identical to the other two versions (Brrr and Gamma) that were released in the first two weeks of September 2018. Therefore, the malware seems to be quite active and users should be more careful to avoid .monro file extension virus.

Monro ransomware releases PassGen.exe file on the infected system to help it run its malicious activities. Nevertheless, 45 out of 68 AV engines detect the infection under the following names:

• TR/Encoder.muyif
• Trojan.Ransom.Crysis
• Trojan.MalPack.GS
• BehavesLike.Win32.Generic.tc
• Gen:Trojan.Heur.Gz0auWhltlp
• Trojan.Gen.2
• Ransom_CRYSIS.THOAIAH
• and many more^[2].

If your computer is infected with .monro file extension virus, it might disable your Antivirus program. Therefore, if you want to remove Monro ransomware, you should reboot the device in Safe Mode with Networking and then try to scan the system using anti-malware software, such as FortectIntego or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner.

As many other ransomware threats, Monro virus can access registry keys and modify existing or add new ones to make sure that malicious program is running on your system freely. Also, this file-locking threat comes to your system with the help of other malware and can install additional threats on the device. 

You should consider these facts and perform Monro ransomware removal as soon as possible to get rid of all potential threats and intruders. Furthermore, you can follow our tips below to attempt file recovery, if you did not store any system backups (note that most of the ransomware viruses attempt to delete shadow volume copies so that the default restoration would become impossible).

When it comes to cryptocurrency-demanding threats, researchers^[3] advise staying away from criminals. You shouldn't pay the ransom or contact hackers in any way. If you communicate with cybercriminals, it may lead to permanent data or money loss. Paying the ransom is not the best solution.

Phishing emails contain malicious file attachments

The most common ransomware distribution method is email spam campaigns. Such emails often pretend to be receipts or invoices from organizations or companies that are relatively known to everyone (for example, Tax office, Amazon, Airbnb, FedEx, etc.). Additionally, bad actors often create the sense of urgency by threatening of account closure, fines, or use similar social engineering tricks. 

However, you should always look out for typos, grammar mistakes, and suspicious sender address. Also, remember that if you are not using the service, you shouldn't get an email with banking statements or essential forms and documents. You can scan those files before downloading on the computer, but you better delete a suspicious email without even opening. 

Monro ransomware termination requires professional anti-malware

To remove Monro ransomware from your computer completely, you should employ a reputable anti-malware program. Tools like FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes are designed to fully scan the system and determine all malicious threats. Security software can detect, delete and block various types of viruses and clean the system. 

Monro ransomware removal needs to be done to make sure your device is virus-free before you attempt to recover your files. You cannot plug in the external device to the infected system because ransomware will encrypt everything on there immediately. If you do not have data backed on cloud services or external devices, you can rely on file recovery methods provided below this article.