Similarly to previous STOP/DJVU versions, PYKW file-encrypting virus infects the computer by pretending to be a software crack. It is also designed to act in a stealth mode. To put it differently, once the virus enters the system, it imitates a common Windows Update screen to trick people into thinking that their systems are not infected. Unfortunately, in the meantime other malicious process begins scanning entire file system and encrypting targets files, such as photos, documents, videos, music files or archives. Once the file encoding is finished, the ransomware drops _readme.txt ransom note to present an offer to buy the PYKW decryption tool. It is a unique software that is capable to recover the encrypted files and get them back to their initial state. Attackers suggest that the software costs $490 for if paid within the first 72 hours of the infection. The price rises to $980 if the victim fails to have the money at the time of attack. However, even if you do have money to pay the ransom, cybersecurity experts advise against doing so. You might get scammed and never receive the decryption software; moreover, you would support the cybercrime industry in such way. Another dangerous thing related to PYKW ransomware is that it installs AZORULT Trojan on the system. Even if you agree to pay the ransom, the criminals already have stolen your login credentials on various websites (those you have previously saved in your browser), and can cause more potential damage to your privacy or even finances. We do not recommend communicating with the cybercriminals in any scenario. We suggest installing a trustworthy malware elimination software to remove PYKW virus along with AZORULT. Our team recommends using RESTORO to perform a full system scan to identify malware and damaged system files.

Sum up of the attack

PYKW ransomware attack demonstration is shown below. Description: PYKW is the 237th STOP/DJVU file-encrypting ransomware variant. The virus is designed to make personal files inaccessible, and drop _readme.txt note with cybercriminals instructions on how to pay the ransom. The attackers suggest contacting them via two provided emails - helpmanager@mail.ch and restoremanager@airmail.cc. Offer price: $490-$980 Currency: Bitcoin Operating System: Windows Application Category: Ransomware Author: STOP/DJVU creators

The ransomware awaits in software cracks

Many people like to get paid things for free, and sadly, the same thing applies to computer software. In other words, computer users frequently turn to peer-to-peer file sharing networks and software cracks to activate licensed software. Cybercriminals are quick to take advantage of that. In particular, they inject the executable ransomware files into files that appear to be illegal software activators. Once opened, the file infects the system with ransomware and encrypts all data on it. It doesn’t take much to avoid ransomware attacks. Firstly, it is important to always keep an eye on what websites you are browsing. That said, you should inspect whether the sites you are visiting are trustworthy, SSL-secured and malware-free. One of the most common indicators is the “Connection is Secure” indicator by a lock icon next to the URL. It indicates that your communication with the website is encrypted and cannot be eavesdropped by a hacker. As briefly mentioned before, you should never look for software cracks or any illegal software copies online. We strongly recommend downloading software from authorized distributors only. The majority of downloads available on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks have an extremely high risk of being complemented with malware.

Remove PYKW ransomware virus safely

Cybersecurity experts advise to remove PYKW ransomware with other cyber threats automatically, as detecting components of such software manually is a challenging task even for the experts. Please pay attention that not all spyware elimination programs are capable to deal with file-encrypting viruses. In addition, RESTORO, is a perfect choice to clean and maintain your computer at its peak performance. Please pay attention that PYKW virus removal might be complicated if you attempt to do it in regular PC mode. This ransomware tends to run a malicious code that blocks access to all security tools, including antivirus. Please follow the ransomware elimination instructions at the end of this article and boot your PC in secure mode first. To restore your files, you can either use the latest backup from the Cloud or read about alternative recovery methods in STOP/DJVU decryption article. Finally, do not forget to change all of your passwords due to Azorult Trojan’s activity. 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 PYKW ransomware 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 PYKW 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 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.

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Decrypt PYKW files

Fix and open large PYKW 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. PYKW ransomware 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 PYKW files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The PYKW 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 PYKW 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 PYKW ransomware 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.