How to remove .odin file extension virus

What to do if your files have .odin file extensions:

.odin file extension typically appears after when the file gets encrypted by .odin file extension virus, which is better known as ODIN ransomware. It is a destructive virus that modifies data in a specific way so that the victim can not access it anymore. It aims to swindle money from the victim, so it asks to pay a ransom to get a special decryption software capable of fixing all .odin files. If you are looking for ODIN decryption tool, we want to tell you straight away that such tool has not been discovered yet. Ransomware-type viruses are extremely dangerous because as soon as they drop the payload, there is no way back. Of course, unless you have a data backup. In such case, you can restore your files for free after removing the virus. If you do not have a backup, we have some data recovery suggestions for you; however, we want to warn you that there is no guarantee that they will help you to recover your files. Now, let’s start from the beginning and find out who ODIN is, how it operates, and why it has attacked your computer.

What is ODIN virus and what it wants from you?

.odin file extension ransomware virus is a computer infection that arrives in the form of an encrypted DLL installer, which is then decrypted and executed via Windows program known as Rundll32.exe. The command line of this program is set to run a command that opens the malicious DLL that is located in %TEMP% folder. Once opened, the virus starts encrypting victim’s files stored in various computer folders – it only bypasses several system folders not to corrupt the system and keep the computer running. The virus identifies target files by their file extensions, and, according to our research, it can corrupt over 390 different file types. .odin file extension virus encrypts data stored on unmapped network shares as well, and it uses a combination of RSA-2048 and AES-128 encryption algorithms, which simply means that there is no way to recover files without a unique decryption key that only the authors of this ransomware know. They use different encryption and decryption key set for each victim, so if you think about buying one decryption software and sharing it with other victims – do not even waste your time. Authors of ODIN malware have thought about this and took care of this matter.

After taking care of victim’s data, the virus creates ransom notes and fills them with information on how to decrypt .odin file extension files. These ransom notes can be entitled as _[2 digits]_HOWDO_text.html, _HOWDO_text.html or _HOWDO_.bmp. Each victim gets a unique identification number and individual link to the payment site, where the decryption software can be bought. The payment site can be accessed via Tor browser only. Once the victim enters this site, the truth comes to the surface – this virus is just another version of Locky virus because the payment website “presents a special software – Locky Decryptor, which allows to decrypt and return control to all your encrypted files.” This decryptor costs 0.7 BTC, which is more or less 450 USD. We do not recommend you to pay the ransom for obvious reasons. First of all, you should not rely on cyber criminals. There is NO guarantee that they will provide you with the decryption software, and even if they do, it might contain malicious attachments. Besides, people who pay ransoms just fuel up the ransomware business and keep cyber criminals going. Therefore, if you have been attacked by this ransomware, remove .odin file extension virus ASAP. For .odin file extension virus removal, you can use FortectIntego or a similar anti-malware software.

How does this virus spread?

Victims of Locky (or Odin) ransomware report that the virus arrived in the form of a malicious email attachment. It seems that this malware distribution technique remains the most popular and effective method to inject ransomware into victims’ computers. Criminals send emails that contain bogus reports, invoices, resumes, speeding tickets, and other infectious documents that insert malware into victim’s computer. Therefore, we suggest you avoid opening emails that come from unknown parties because such emails often bring malware payload. Although there are other methods used to distribute ODIN, malicious email attachments remain the main method used to infect home computer users. However, malware can be installed after downloading bogus software updates or clicking on malware-laden ads.

Remove .odin file extension ransomware

If your files have been securely locked by .odin file extension virus, you do not have to reconcile yourself – remove .odin file extension malware ASAP by using a reliable anti-malware software. Just like we have mentioned before, FortectIntego is the recommended tool for .odin file extension removal; however, the virus most likely will attempt to block your security software. In such case, read the following information: