How To Remove Tycoon ransomware And Recover Infected Data

Proper Guide To Delete Tycoon ransomware From System

Tycoon ransomware is a newly detected dangerous file-encrypting virus that has been found targeting Windows and Linux PC systems. It first started its malicious campaign back in December 2019 has been specially created by potent Cyber actors for evil purposes. After its successful intrusion into the targeted machine, it uses an uncommon deployment method in order to stay hidden on the infected networks. This deadly parasite mainly targets organizations in the software and education industries. It has been detected by researchers at BlackBerry who are working with security experts in KPMG. It’s a multi-platform Java-based infection that is able to encrypt both Windows and Linux devices.

Depth Analysis of Tycoon ransomware:

Tycoon ransomware encrypts the targeted files stored on the infected PCs using a powerful AES-256 encryption algorithm. It completes the process in Galois/Counter (GCM) mode3 with a 16-byte long GCM authentication tag, which ensures files reliability.” Moreover, it also encodes the AES keys using an asymmetric RSA algorithm and hence, to decrypt the locked data, victims require getting the attackers’ private RSA key. If your crucial files get encrypted with 1024-bit RSA algorithm, although theoretically retrieving those data is possible, but it has not been done yet and would need extraordinary computational power. The files that get locked by this ransomware can be easily identified as it renames them by appending “.redrum”, “.thanos” and “.grinch extension with them as suffix.

After completing the encryption process, Tycoon ransomware displays a ransom note and demands an amount of ransom from the victims in order to get the decryption keys and open the compromised data. They are also asked to establish contact with the attackers to get more details. At the end, the affected users may have to pay the criminals a large sum of $200 to $1500 in BitCoins. Hackers also promise that once the payment is done, you will be delivered the required software. According to researchers, this hazardous threat might be related to another form of crypto-virus Dharma which is also known as Crysis, since their email addresses, text of the ransom note and names of locked files are same.

Should You Pay The ransom?

Paying ransom to Tycoon ransomware authors is not a clever thing to do under any circumstance as you have absolutely no guarantee that they will decode your files even after taking the ransom. It has been tendency of such criminals that they usually ignore the victims once the payment is made and cause them to lose both files as well as money. Victims should understand that the only objective of such crooks is to extort illicit revenues from the affected people. They have no ethics and will never fulfill their promises. Moreover, paying money to the attackers will only encourage them to drop more such viruses in the device for further profits. So, never trust on them no matter what situation is.

What Should The Victims Do?

In such hazardous circumstance, the first thing you need to do here is to remove Tycoon ransomware from the computer immediately before it infects your other essential data. As far as restoring the infected files is concerned, you should use a recently made backup stored on any external drive. In the absence of a proper backup, try a powerful file-recovery application as this is the only option left for you. Moreover, experts strongly advise to keep making frequent backups by the help of which, you can easily recover the infected or lost files if such pernicious situation occurs whenever.

Threat Details

Name: Tycoon ransomware

Type: Ransomware, Crypto-virus

Description- Destructive malware that aims to encrypt users’ crucial files and then ask them to pay off for the decryption key/tool.

Extension- “.redrum”, “.thanos” and “.grinch

Symptoms: Victims will not be able to access files available on their desktop, previously functional files now have different extensions, A ransom demanding message is displayed on the desktop screen. Users are asked to pay an amount of ransom to unlock their encoded data and files.

Distribution methods: Spam emails, Torrent websites, peer to peer network sharing, unofficial activation and updating tools.

Damage: All files are encrypted and cannot be accessed without paying ransom, Additional password stealing Trojans and malware infections can be installed along with ransomware infections and other malware.

Removal: To remove this virus from the system, we advise you to use a reliable anti-malware tool. Once malware gets removed, you can recover your files by using existing backup or data-recovery software.

Intrusion of Tycoon ransomware:

This dangerous file-encoding virus is often deployed by its creators in the targeted system in the form of a “ZIP archive including a Trojanized Java Runtime Environment (JRE) build” as soon as they intrude users’networks through vulnerable and Internet-exposed RDP servers as stepping stone. This is a general attack vector for crypto-virus campaigns and it usually exploits servers with weak or formerly compromised passwords. After getting into the network, the hackers uphold persistence by using Image File Execution Options (IFEO) injection settings which usually provide operators with the capability to debug software. The longer this dangerous threat remains in your computer; it keeps infecting your other essential data and causing more hazards to the machine. So, don’t waste any time. Just take an immediate action and remove Tycoon ransomware from the PC completely.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

Step 1: Remove Tycoon ransomware through “Safe Mode with Networking”

Step 2: Delete Tycoon ransomware using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove Tycoon ransomware through “Safe Mode with Networking”

For Windows XP and Windows 7 users: Boot the PC in “Safe Mode”. Click on “Start” option and continuously press on F8 during the start process until the “Windows Advanced Option” menu appears on the screen. Choose “Safe Mode with Networking” from the list.

Now, a windows homescreen appears on the desktop and work-station is now working on “Safe mode with networking”.

For Windows 8 Users: Go to the “Start Screen”. In the search results select settings, type “Advanced”. In the “General PC Settings” option, choose “Advanced startup” option. Again, click on the “Restart Now” option. The work-station boots to “Advanced Startup Option Menu”. Press on “Troubleshoot” and then “Advanced options” button. In the “Advanced Option Screen”, press on “Startup Settings”. Again, click on “Restart” button. The work-station will now restart in to the “Startup Setting” screen. Next is to press F5 to boot in Safe Mode in Networking.

For Windows 10 Users: Press on Windows logo and on the “Power” icon. In the newly opened menu, choose “Restart” while continuously holding “Shift” button on the keyboard. In the new open “Choose an option” window, click on “Troubleshoot” and then on the “Advanced Options”. Select “Startup Settings” and press on “Restart”. In the next window, click on “F5” button on the key-board.

Step 2: Delete Tycoon ransomware using “System Restore”

Log-in to the account infected with Tycoon ransomware. Open the browser and download a legitimate anti-malware tool. Do a full System scanning. Remove all the malicious detected entries.

In case if you cannot start the PC in “Safe Mode with Networking”, Try using “System Restore”

• During the “Startup”, continuously press on F8 key until the “Advanced Option” menu appears. From the list, choose “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” and then press “Enter”

• In the new opened command prompt, enter “cd restore” and then press “Enter”.

• Type: rstrui.exe and Press “ENTER”

• Click “Next” on the new windows

• Choose any of the “Restore Points” and click on “Next”. (This step will restore the work-station to its earlier time and date prior to Tycoon ransomware infiltration in the PC.

• In the newly opened windows, press on “Yes”.

Once your PC gets restored to its previous date and time, download the recommended anti-malware tool and perform a deep scanning in order to remove Tycoon ransomware files if they left in the work-station.

In order to restore the each (separate) file by this ransomware, use “Windows Previous Version” feature. This method is effective when “System Restore Function” is enabled in the work-station.

Important Note: Some variants of Tycoon ransomware delete the “Shadow Volume Copies” as well hence this feature may not work all the time and is applicable for selective computers only.

How to Restore Individual Encrypted File:

In order to restore a single file, right click on it and go to “Properties”. Select “Previous Version” tab. Select a “Restore Point” and click on “Restore” option.

In order to access the files encrypted by Tycoon ransomware, you can also try using “Shadow Explorer”. In order to get more information on this application, press here.

Important: Data Encryption Ransomware are highly dangerous and it is always better that you take precautions to avoid its attack on your work-station. It is advised to use a powerful anti-malware tool in order to get protection in real-time. With this help of “SpyHunter”, “group policy objects” are implanted in the registries in order to block harmful infections like Tycoon ransomware.

Also, In Windows 10, you get a very unique feature called “Fall Creators Update” that offer “Controlled Folder Access” feature in order to block any kind of encryption to the files. With the help of this feature, any files stored in the locations such as “Documents”, “Pictures”, “Music”, “Videos”, “Favorites” and “Desktop” folders are safe by default.

It is very important that you install this “Windows 10 Fall Creators Update” in your PC to protect your important files and data from ransomware encryption. The more information on how to get this update and add an additional protection form rnasomware attack has been discussed here.

How to Recover the Files Encrypted by Tycoon ransomware?

Till now, you would have understood that what had happed to your personal files that got encrypted and how you can remove the scripts and payloads associated with Tycoon ransomware in order to protect your personal files that has not been damaged or encrypted until now. In order to retrieve the locked files, the depth information related to “System Restore” and “Shadow Volume Copies” has already been discussed earlier. However, in case if you are still unable to access the encrypted files then you can try using a data recovery tool.

Use of Data Recovery Tool

This step is for all those victims who have already tries all the above mentioned process but didn’t find any solution. Also it is important that you are able to access the PC and can install any software. The data recovery tool works on the basis of System scanning and recovery algorithm. It searches the System partitions in order to locate the original files which were deleted, corrupted or damaged by the malware. Remember that you must not re-install the Windows OS otherwise the “previous” copies will get deleted permanently. You have to clean the work-station at first and remove Tycoon ransomware infection. Leave the locked files as it is and follow the steps mentioned below.

Step1: Download the software in the work-station by clicking on the “Download” button below.

Step2: Execute the installer by clicking on downloaded files.

Step3: A license agreement page appears on the screen. Click on “Accept” to agree with its terms and use. Follow the on-screen instruction as mentioned and click on “Finish” button.

Step4: Once the installation gets completed, the program gets executed automatically. In the newly opened interface, select the file types that you want to recover and click on “Next”.

Step5: You can select the “Drives” on which you want the software to run and execute the recovery process. Next is to click on the “Scan” button.

Step6: Based on drive you select for scanning, the restore process begins. The whole process may take time depending on the volume of the selected drive and number of files. Once the process gets completed, a data explorer appears on the screen with preview of that data that is to be recovered. Select the files that you want to restore.

Step7. Next is to locate the location where you want to saver the recovered files.