NAKW ransomware hits hundreds of victims, encrypts personal dataNo ways to decrypt files – at least for nowRansomware SummaryDistribution means and ways to protect yourselfWays to remove NAKW ransomware virus
The ransom note suggests contacting salesrestoresoftware@firemail.cc or salesrestoresoftware@gmail.com to get instructions regarding .nakw file decryption software. To prove that such a tool exists, the ransomware developers suggest decrypting one file for free. However, to recover all files, the ransomware virus demands paying a hefty price. The attackers suggest a 50% discount if the ransom is paid within 72 hours – $490. Otherwise, the price is $980.
No ways to decrypt files – at least for now
Speaking of data recovery, you must first acknowledge the encryption routine this virus uses. Once installed on the target machine, it attempts to establish a connection with its server to obtain an online key. Otherwise, if it can’t establish this connection, it encrypts files using an offline key. In addition, the virus might use both online and offline keys. A typical indicator that files were locked with the offline key is a personal ID ending in t1. NAKW ransomware virus is a new variant of DJVU (STOP). This ransomware family started producing new versions that use an upgraded encryption algorithm since August 2019. These versions include RECO, NOLS, COOT, DERP, and others. Unfortunately, if you were attacked and your files were encrypted with online key, there are no chances to recover your files. If encrypted with an offline key, you might have a chance to recover some of them in the future. Security researchers need to extract the offline key first. Therefore, please be patient – such things do not happen quickly. Please keep checking for updates in this tutorial on how to decrypt files locked by STOP ransomware. Another thing you should be aware of is that NAKW ransomware can install an information-stealing Trojan named Azorult. This malicious virus is designed to steal passwords saved in your browsers. Therefore, you need to take action to delete it along with the ransomware virus remains. To remove NAKW ransomware virus successfully, consider using the guidelines given below this post. To automatically clean your computer system, use powerful antivirus software.
Ransomware Summary
Distribution means and ways to protect yourself
Victims of STOP ransomware all are attacked due to insecure practices when it comes to software installation. It is a well-known fact that this ransomware is bundled with illegal software activation tools such as software cracks, keygens, KMSPico viruses and so on. Therefore, if your files are encrypted and have .nakw extensions now, it means that you have attempted to install paid software illegally, or, in other words, without paying for its license. Please remember that such illegal activators are used as bait by cybercriminals. They can modify programs to make them launch different files and run executives that bear a malicious payload (in other words, ransomware). What is more, software licenses cost way less than ransoms. Besides, we believe that your data was extremely important to you, so please do not take such decisions in the future. As you can see, the results are nerve-wracking, to say at least. You can learn more about ransomware distribution tricks used by cyber attackers in this prevention guide.
Ways to remove NAKW ransomware virus
A safe way to clean up your computer system and remove NAKW ransomware along with Azorult is to boot your computer in Safe mode and run an antivirus software then. Additionally, we recommend refreshing the antivirus database first and installing suggested updates for it. This ensures that your antivirus will have a definition of this specific ransomware variant and will be able to eliminate it safely. You can find instructions regarding NAKW virus removal down below. Please note that you can also remove malware from your system by reinstalling Windows, which is not a recommended option as you can lose all of your data immediately. Once you complete the given steps, change all your passwords to prevent hackers from stealing more sensitive data or potentially emptying your bank account. Finally, we recommend you to backup .nakw extension files in case there’s an update to the STOP decrypter tool in the future. 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.
Alternative software recommendations
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking
Before you try to remove the 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, see a video tutorial on how to do it: Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10 users Now, you can search for and remove NAKW Ransomware 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 malware removal program. In addition, we suggest trying a combination of INTEGO Antivirus (removes malware and protects your PC in real-time) and RESTORO (repairs virus damage to Windows OS files).
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 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. 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.
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