As explained in the ransom note _readme.txt, creators of EPOR file virus have encrypted all files on your computer. To be specific, this malware employs RSA cryptography for wreaking havoc on target systems. The cybercriminals state that there is no other way of recovering lost files than paying for the “special decryption software and key”. They promise to provide instructions how to pay the ransom, which costs $490 if the victim writes to criminals within 3 days from the infection timestamp, or $980 later. This sum, of course, has to be paid out in cryptocurrency so that the criminals would remain anonymous. The note suggests writing to one of provided emails – helpmanager@mail.ch or restoremanager@airmail.cc.

The cybercriminals suggest proving the decryption tool works

The cybercriminals behind this virus want to convince the victim to pay the ransom, so they offer testing the .epor decryption service first. They advise to attach 1 encrypted file to the email. However, the file should not contain any valuable information. The crooks promise to send back decrypted version of this file to prove that it is “worth” paying the ransom. However, despite that, there is a number of reasons why you should not pay the ransom. Here are some of the most obvious reasons:

The criminals might never provide you with decryption tool/key, or it might be faulty and still fail to restore your files.Paying the required sum directly funds creation of more malware everyday. You can tell how successful STOP/DJVU malware is based on the fact that it already has more than 260 versions.If you fulfill cybercriminals demands, you will be targeted over and over again because you can be identified as a potential victim who agrees to pay up.Finally, you should never pay because this virus installs AZORULT malware on the system that is supposed to steal you login credentials, which can already lead to security issues and money theft itself.

That said, we strongly recommend you to initiate EPOR virus removal. You can find extensive instructions below this article. You can also use automatic software to eliminate virus damage on the system. It is essential to protect yourself against ransomware attacks because it is a very prevalent malware variant nowadays. You can download viruses like DHARMA, VVOA, MATRIX and others from various online sources. Get to know current virus distribution techniques described below to avoid getting infected with similar threat in the future.

Ransomware distribution relies on deceptive schemes

Distribution technique: malicious downloads

Ransomware-type viruses are mostly distributed in common ways, which will be explained below. However, let’s start by describing the method that EPOR ransomware relies on. This virus, similarly to all STOP/DJVU versions, travel around disguised as software cracks, keygens or tools like KMSPico. In other words, anything illegal and copyright-protected that can be downloaded from various torrent sites can deliver you malware. The biggest problem is that computer users often bypass antivirus’ notifications informing about possible malware. Consequently, once the victim tries to open the keygen/crack file, the ransomware immediately starts encrypting all files on the computer. Needless to say, to avoid getting infected this way, head to official software developers’ websites to obtain legitimate program versions.

Distribution technique: malicious spam

Another ransomware distribution method is malicious spam. The attackers create convincing emails with specific attachments, often DOC/PDF/ZIP files that are named as invoices, payment/shipping information documents. Unfortunately, these safe-looking attachments can contain malicious JavaScript that downloads and executes payloads from external sources. Therefore, we strongly recommend you to avoid opening emails with attachments or links unless you knew that you were supposed to receive that email. Remember that criminals use such techniques as logo/email design replication and email address spoofing to trick the victim into believing that the sender is genuine.

Distribution technique: fake software updates

Finally, we recommend you to avoid downloading software updates from suspicious pop-ups that arise when visiting untrustworthy websites. Deceptive websites often push fake Adobe Flash Player or Java updates that hide malware or spyware inside of them.

Remove EPOR ransomware virus safely

You can remove EPOR ransomware virus by following instructions provided below the article. Make sure you complete all the steps to entirely eliminate the virus from the system. We also recommend scanning the system with RESTORO to repair virus damage caused by this crypto-malware. Once EPOR virus removal is complete, you should take further actions to secure your privacy. First, we recommend you to change all login credentials for websites saved in your browser (Chrome, Firefox, others). Next, we recommend reporting cybercrime incident via provided links below. Finally, do not forget that you simply must create data backups on external data storage device regularly. Such backups come in handy in case of malware attack, computer destruction/theft or similar situations. OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove EPOR ransomware virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove EPOR ransomware virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt EPOR files

Fix and open large EPOR files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. EPOR ransomware virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt EPOR files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The EPOR decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your EPOR extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Victims of EPOR ransomware virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.