How to remove Nagini ransomware virus

Harry Potter echoes in cybercrime: Nagini ransomware is on the loose

It seems that the famous J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise has some admirers among the cyber criminals since a ransomware infection called the Nagini virus has recently been spotted roaming the Internet. Nagini is a pet snake which belongs to Voldemort, the evil wizard and the main antagonist of Harry Potter. This ransomware virus is much like Nagini. It sneaks into the computers in a snake-like manner, without the users suspecting a thing and strikes from behind. Once on the computer, it runs its malicious code, blocking the victims from accessing their data stored on the device and then asks the users to pay up in order to access their personal data again. It is interesting that the virus does not follow the footsteps of such famous ransomware projects like Locky, Cryptolocker or Cerber and does not involve a broad scale of data encryption. Currently, it targets a couple of the main file extensions, such as .doc, .xls or .pdf and only if these documents are located in the C:\Users\Colosseum\Desktop\files\ directory. So, how does it block access to the computer? By initiating a lock screen, of course. The lock screen may not be as effective as a full drive encryption using AES or RSA algorithms, but it can sure make the less experienced users lose their wits and follow the criminals’ orders. Don’t be one of them and do not allow the evil doers make a fortune in such illegal ways. Besides, Nagini removal and data recovery is feasible and not too complex either. It might just take a system scan with a professional antivirus utility, such as FortectIntego and the virus will be banished from your system. But you have the screen lock to take care of first. You will learn how to do it in the virus elimination guide below.

Looking at the rather incomplex nature of this ransomware, we can only presume two things: either this program was created for the sole purpose of fun, not focusing much on the profit, or the ransomware is still under development and Nagini malware is just a pilot variant of the virus designed to test the waters. Both of these options are possible, but let us not steer away from the fact that this virus should not be underestimated. It may still lock files and prevent you from accessing your desktop which means that it also stops you from initiating a system scan with antivirus software. Besides, some of the virus functions are still unknown, for instance, the purpose of the C:\Temp\voldemort.horcrux folder that appears after file encryption. It’s all left for speculations, but we can only hope that nothing more serious grows out of it. In the meanwhile, take care of your future files and remove Nagini from your computer.

Can you fight ransomware viruses off?

Nagini is a perfect example of ransomware that infects computers with the help of Trojans or spam emails. If you are at least a little familiar with these distribution techniques, you should know how vulnerable the antivirus software can be against them. That’s mainly because the users download the infected files straight to their computers themselves and give very little time for the antivirus utility to inspect them. So, the best way to fight ransomware infections like Nagini off is to keep away from the potential infection spots. The malware-infected material can be encountered on obscure software download sites, insecure peer-2-peer networks, and even your email inbox. Thus, we highly advise you to evaluate every program or file you download on your computer as well as to be careful when dealing with emails received from unfamiliar senders, especially if they contain additional attachments.

Remove Nagini and recover your files:

Nagini virus is still in its initial stages of development, but that does not mean it should be treated any less serious than other ransomware infections. On the opposite, since this program is still in the making, you do not know what to expect from it and how can it start behaving as time goes by. So, the Nagini removal is essential to keep your computer and your data safe. To do that, you will have to remove all the components related to the virus from your computer. We suggest doing that automatically. Below we also provide instructions on how to remove Nagini lock screen and prepare your computer for the antivirus scan. Also, you will find some recommendations on data decryption, in case the virus managed to lock your personal files.