Thunder ransomware – a hazardous computer virus which ads the .[thunderhelp@airmail.cc].thunder appendix to each affected file
Thunder ransomware - a virus which is related to Everbe ransomware.
Thunder ransomware is a cryptovirus which was discovered in July 2018. It is related to infamous Everbe ransomware. This file-encrypting virus infiltrates the system via spam and then starts scanning it for target files that could be encrypted. Encrypted data is marked with the .[thunderhelp@airmail.cc].thunder appendix and cannot be used. After that, a ransom text note called “!=How_recovery_files=!.txt” is displayed on the victim's desktop. This message aims to announce the encryption and urges its victims to contact cybercrooks by using thunderhelp@airmail.cc. The main aim of cyber criminals is to convince users to pay for a decryption key.
The Thunder ransomware ransom message looks like this:
'Hello, dear friend! 1. [ ALL YOUR FILES HAVE BEEN ENCRYPTED! ] Your files are NOT damaged! Your files are modified only. This modification is reversible. The only 1 way to decrypt your files is to receive the decryption program. 2. [ HOW TO RECOVERY FILES? ] To receive the decryption program write on our e-mail: thunderhelp@airmail.cc And in subject write your ID: ID-[redacted 6 hex] We send you full instruction how to decrypt all your files. 3. [ FREE DECRYPTION! ] Free decryption as guarantee. We guarantee the receipt of the decryption program after payment. To believe, you can give us up to 3 files that we decrypt for free. Files should not be important to you! (databases, backups, large excel sheets, etc.)'
The price of the ransom might vary. However, it typically needs to be paid in a given type of cryptocurrency. Transfers for decryption tools remain secret and cannot be tracked down. However, no matter how tempting the recovery of your locked files seems, avoid contacting the cybercrooks! Moreover, do NOT pay the demanded ransom as there is a big risk of being scammed. Better perform the Thunder ransomware removal as soon as you spot files marked with .[thunderhelp@airmail.cc].thunder extension.
Thunder ransomware uses an AES cipher[1] to lock up important files. It can affect such data:
Images;
Video files;
Audio files;
Databases;
Computer networks;
Servers;
etc.
All decryption keys are out of reach for regular users. According to malware researchers, even the most experienced IT specialists cannot decrypt files encrypted by this ransomware.
Nevertheless, keeping such a virus on the system might lead you to other malware forms.[2] Various harmful programs might find it easier to enter your infected computer, so make sure you don't waste your time after finding yourself affected by a cryptovirus. To avoid such unwanted consequences, you need to remove Thunder ransomware from your PC system as quickly as possible. For such case, we suggest using anti-malware help. Install FortectIntego or Malwarebytes and run a full system scan.
The main issue caused by Thunder ransomware and other familiar cryptoviruses is a data loss. To prevent the loss of important photos, videos or even art, we recommend storing copies of your important data on external devices, such as a USB drive, external drive or iCloud. If kept in that kind of way, files will remain safe, and you will avoid their corruption.
Thunder ransomware - a file-encrypting virus which locks up files and demands a ransom. Prevent ransomware-type infections
According to IT researchers[3], ransomware is often distributed through phishing emails. Spam messages are set up using misleading techniques, such as trustworthy-looking subject lines, titles, and filenames. However, no matter how safe it seems, be careful with such content, especially if you are not expecting anything significant. If you have even the slightest doubt about the message, either contact the sender to make sure that it is safe or delete this email without taking too long.
Furthermore, some dubious sites and networks might also be used for spreading malware. They might be filled with malicious ads, links or similar harmful content. If you ever encounter a suspicious-looking page, make sure to leave it immediately.
A piece of advice would be to install antivirus protection. According to specialists, every computer should be secured with an antivirus program. All you need to do is make sure that the tool is always updated.
Get rid of Thunder ransomware from your computer system
To remove Thunder virus from your PC system, you need to run an anti-malware tool. Try using antivirus programs such as FortectIntego or Malwarebytes. Note that you shouldn't try eliminating the threat by yourself as professional and experienced help is needed for this kind of virus.
After you carry out the Thunder ransomware removal, be sure to do some computer system backups to protect yourself in the future. You need to restart your system and run yet another scan to make sure that the virus was deleted successfully.
Compatible with Microsoft Windows
Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Important! → Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
Click Restart now.
Select Troubleshoot.
Go to Advanced options.
Select Startup Settings.
Press Restart.
Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
Click on More details.
Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
Right-click and select Open file location.
Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
Go to Startup tab.
Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files Downloads Recycle Bin Temporary files
Pick Clean up system files.
You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData% %LocalAppData% %ProgramData% %WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove Thunder using System Restore
Turn on the System Restore function to disable Thunder ransomware and run a full system scan:
Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt Windows 7 / Vista / XP
Click Start→Shutdown→Restart→OK.
When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8
Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
Now select Troubleshoot→Advanced options→Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Thunder. After doing that, click Next.
Now click Yes to start system restore.
Once you restore your system to a previous date, download and scan your computer with FortectIntego and make sure that Thunder removal is performed successfully.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove Thunder from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.
If you spotted encrypted files, you might be wondering, how to recover them. Here are some tools that might be useful for such a purpose. However, make sure you remove malicious files at first.
If your files are encrypted by Thunder, you can use several methods to restore them:
Follow the steps of Data Recovery Setup and install the program on your computer;
Launch it and scan your computer for files encrypted by Thunder ransomware;
Restore them.
Use Windows Previous Versions feature to recover some of your files
Notice that such feature will work only if the System Restore function was activated before infiltration of this malware.
Find an encrypted file you need to restore and right-click on it;
Select “Properties” and go to “Previous versions” tab;
Here, check each of available copies of the file in “Folder versions”. You should select the version you want to recover and click “Restore”.
Consider using Shadow Explorer for restoring files encrypted by Thunder ransomware
If you want to recover some files, try using this method. However, it works only for those files which did not lose their Shadow Copies during the cyber attack.
Follow a Shadow Explorer Setup Wizard and install this application on your computer;
Launch the program and go through the drop down menu on the top left corner to select the disk of your encrypted data. Check what folders are there;
Right-click on the folder you want to restore and select “Export”. You can also select where you want it to be stored.
There is no official Thunder ransomware decryptor discovered yet.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Thunder and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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