How to remove Satan ransomware virus

Satan ransomware kit available on the deep web: increased number of attacks expected

Satan virus is one of those ransomware viruses that are Ransomware-as-a-Service^[1] type. Satan RaaS ransomware kit is currently available on deep web forums^[2], and those who have an interest in ransomware business can get their hands on a free to use ransomware kit^[3] simply by signing up on a specified website. According to a forum member dubbed Cold_As_Ice, Satan virus is free for those who want to use it, and everyone can create their customized copy of it by changing these parameters: “ransom value, multiplier for the ransom after X days have passed, the number of days after the multiplier takes place, a private note.” The forum member who is likely to be the one who sells this ransomware claims that the executive file of Satan weights only 170kb, suggests hackers to translate the ransom note in particular languages to help victims understand what’s happening, and also says that the ransomware kit helps hackers to create malicious codes for Microsoft Word Macro^[4] and CHM file (to help deceive victims and spread the malware more efficiently). 

Experts expect an increased number of Satan malware attacks in the near future. Ransomware-as-a-Service is nothing new, and such tools pave the way for criminals to easy money. When such tools are so easily accessible on the Internet, there is no doubt why ransomware business is prospering. Authors of this ransomware kit ask for 30% of all ransoms collected, leaving the rest for the user of the kit. Victims infected with this virus shouldn’t rush to pay the ransom because currently Satan malware is under analysis and it means malware researchers are working on its decryption tool, which could save victims’ data. Victims are advised to remove Satan ransomware with anti-malware tools like FortectIntego and use backups to recover encrypted files. In case the victim has no backups, one should follow data recovery instructions presented at the end of this post. Satan removal is the number 1 task to complete to protect the system from further infections.

How did I get infected with a ransomware?

It appears that Satan virus’ authors suggest distributing the virus via malicious Word files with Macro code in them. Therefore, you should beware of emails sent by unknown people and avoid opening files attached to them. Remember that criminals might try to deceive you by renaming the malicious Word file as Invoice, Report, Scanned Document or similarly, but that shouldn’t convince you to open it. We suggest carefully inspecting the message sent by the unknown individual and also take a look at sender’s email to find out whether it looks trustworthy or not. What is more, scammers can try to pretend to be employees^[5] of well-known and reputable companies such as Amazon or Paypal, so you shouldn’t believe them until you make sure that the sender is actually from the company he/she claims to be working for.

Is it possible to recover files locked by this malware? How to remove Satan virus?

If these are the questions that bother you at the moment, you should ask yourself whether you are willing to pay the ransom to cyber criminals or not. You might receive the decryptor, or you might not. Even if you receive it, it might be infected with more viruses. Paying the ransom is never a good idea, so we suggest choosing the right option and refusing to pay up. You can remove Satan virus with anti-malware programs, and, as we have already mentioned, recover data from a backup. Otherwise, you might want to use these data recovery instructions: