Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

Go to malwarebytes.org. Download and run their free version (Actually I use the premium version, but you don't need that.)

Then go to Sophos and download their free version.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

stonecherub Loc: Tucson, AZ

Get this:
https://info.knowbe4.com/ransomware-hostage-rescue-manual-0.

None of the other malware programs will help you, you have been crypto-locked. Just before reading your page, I was on Stu Sjowerman's Know-be-4 site where I got the above link and learned that these criminals took in as much in the first half of this years as in all of last year. They have been wildly successful so far and may well take in more than half a billion bucks this year.

Your problem illustrates the fact that THE INTERNET CANNOT BE MADE SAFE! Until somebody comes up with a solution, have a remote backup and a clone of your OS.

I boot off a 250G solid state drive that I religiously clone onto a spare every Sunday. They cost less than $100 each. My data is backed up into the "cloud" every day by Backblaze for $50 a year. If I get hit, I think I can recover with all of my software and photos intact.

Cynic that I am, I fully expect these crooks sooner or later to come up with a way to infect people that does not require responding to a phishing e-mail. They're crooks working out of a kleptocracy that we are not ready to nuke --- yet. On the Know-be-4 site, you can find a list of countries (all eastern European) that their malware will not operate in.

nospambob Loc: Edmond, Oklahoma

Thnx Bill, that's good to know.

coj Loc: NJ, USA

Sophos is The Best. I always keep a copy on my pc, keep it current, just in case, as some viruses, especially root kits block downloading programs such as this.

rayford2 Loc: New Bethlehem, PA

The Russians are good at this. In fact some of them give you options like 30 days for 29.95, 90 for 49.95, or life for 69.95.
This was back when a simple restore solved the problem, but now the bastards are getting more sophisticated. It keeps the computer nerds busy but sure doesn't help your wallet.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I guess we could trying e-mailing Vladimir Putin or Edward Snowden and ask for advice, help and intervention!

blackest Loc: Ireland

The truth is with that kind of encryption it really can take 100's of years to brute force the key. However what happens is they take your.jpeg as input and write yourencrypted.jpg and then delete your.jpeg

so we all know these days that deleting usually means the file system marking these blocks are now free. Which means a lot of the time you can go back to the blocks find the file and mark the blocks as in use again. unless written over or perhaps a defrag.

so recover deleted files not so hard can be 95% successful, brute force a 2048 bit key you will win the lottery several times before that happens.

There was a time when 128 bits was as much as the US government would allow to be used, (encryption was/is regarded as a weapon).

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Well said. If the files really are encrypted it is pretty much pay up or game over. If they are not encrypted, and just claimed to be there may be recovery options.

These are the reasons why the NSA and GCHQ are concerned about the current resistance to their operations which can largely be atributed to Edward Snowden. The NSA and GCHQ are regulated, Apple, Facebook, Google and so many others are not.

I personally have few concerns about the NSA or GCHQ, but I do about the unregulated commercial sector.

You won't find me flying Metrojet any time soon. To me it's a much bigger infringement of my personal rights to be blown out of the sky than it is to have a regulated government agency monitor whether or not I may be in communication with known or suspect terrorists, or engaging in seditious online activity with suspect organizations.

Or in the monitoring to identify and take action against sophisticated organized crime acting from another country where legal jurisdiction is irrelevant and ineffective.

tbetress Loc: Skippack, Pa

you may also want to download Adblock Plus
will help in the future.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Not a bad suggestion, but would that help in this situation?

stonecherub Loc: Tucson, AZ

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! Cryptolock is NOT advertising, it's NOT what anybody posting here thinks it is. Cryptolock is not like anything else, it's robbery, pure and simple. Only a program called "Cryptoprevent" detects it and prevents it from running. It's owners are taking in money hand over fist, they are constantly improving their software. Nasty, nasty stuff.

If you want to know about it, go to knowbe4.com, Stu Sjowerman is a reluctant expert. Also, go to the cryptoprevent website, foolishIT.

Download this manual: (copy and paste URL into your browser)

https://info.knowbe4.com/ransomware-hostage-rescue-manual-0

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

That's a little bit over the top. You are not the only one that understands the significance of this.

Quite a few of us here are or have been in this industry and fully understand the significance....

stonecherub Loc: Tucson, AZ

Roger, out.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

No probs, but hopefully on a good footing. This situation is a lot more insidious than many here comprehend.