What do we know about ODCODC virus?
Recently, security experts announced that they discovered a new variant of ODCODC ransomware which is a typical file-encrypting virus. Such malware was especial active in 2016 and there is no sign that it will stop its activity in 2017.[1] Unfortunately, ODCODC still employs RSA-2048 algorithm[2] when it initiates the encryption of your files, so it leaves you no way to recover these files. Like ordinary ransomware, it demands money in exchange for the special key needed to recover the encoded data. The warning message is now enlisted in HOW_TO_RESTORE_FILES.txt file and the latest extensions used to damage the target files are .odcodc and C-email-[email_address]-[original_filename].odcodc. So, the corrupted file looks like this – C-email-abennaki@india.com-photo2.jpg.odcodc. Thus, you may easily tell a difference which files were targeted. For encoding, the threat downloads a unique key from its Command & Control server for each hard drive it encodes. It initiates such activity as soon as it infiltrates your computer. If it didn’t succeed connecting to the server, it will choose one from 200 static encryption keys. Before you start the decryption procedure to recover your files, make sure you remove this threat from your computer first. You can remove ODCODC virus with the help of an anti-spyware application FortectIntego. Also, you should keep in mind that hundreds of people are working on helping people fight against ransomware viruses.[3]
The ransomware belongs to the family of viruses which seem to be the “products” of the same group of hackers. The common feature of their ransomware is that they have been using a common email address. For example, Shade ransomware uses @india.com. ODCODC ransomware also indicates abennaki@india.com address for its victims. They are supposed to use this email address to contact the cyber criminals in order to receive the information about the size of ransom required for decrypting the data. Surprisingly, this method of communicating with users didn’t help for cyber security agencies to detect the location of hackers. Needless to say that you should not behave according to the expectations of the hackers and do not make any financial transactions. Even if you pay the money, it doesn’t ensure the return of the locked information.[4] If infected, you need to initiate ODCODC removal first and then try to restore your files from backup or rely on other decryption methods.
The virus provides the ransom note in two different languages – English and Russian. After reading it, you can clearly see that hackers are not native Russian speakers. Some experts have suspected that they might be Ukrainians because their English is broken. Previously, they used Readthis.txt file to warn their victims but the latest ransom note is named as HOW_TO_RESTORE_FILES.txt. Speaking of the amount of ransom, the size of it might vary according to personal preferences of the hackers. Even if your encrypted files were of top importance, you need to come to terms that they might be lost unless you saved their copies to your external hard drive or used other methods to backup.[5]
The distribution of .odcodc file extension virus
Like other viruses of the same kind, the virus tends to disperse via spam emails, exploit kits and fraudulent file sharing websites. In the first case, you may protect your computer from ransomware by avoiding to open emails received from unknown senders. Be wary that hackers have mastered the ways to convince a victim to open an infected attachment by alarming him or her with fake invoices, deliveries, and invitations to court trials. Likewise, you can reduce the risk of getting infected. However, if the virus attempts to slither into the system via a trojan, then, your vigilance might not help at all. In this case, it is crucial to install an anti-spyware program, for example, FortectIntego or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes, which will detect Trojan horse and similar installer before it gets into your computer. What is more, the software can also help you to perform ODCODC removal.
How can I remove ODCODC completely?
The successful elimination of the ransomware requires using automatic ODCODC removal. For that, you can use FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or other reputable security software. These anti-spyware programs will deal with your ransomware virus in minutes, and will also help you get rid of all malicious files hiding in your computer. If you can’t launch any of these programs and ensure that all files related to ODCODC virus are deleted permanently, you should try one of two methods given below this article. Finally, we should say that you should not forget that the security software is a must-have tool that provides the overall protection to your system. As previously mentioned, it might come in handy when blocking malware and trojans as well. After the program completes ODCODC virus removal, think about the alternatives to store your personal data. Keep it in several domains so that you would have several options to recover your data from in case any ransomware infects the system in the future.
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