How to remove Kook Ransomware

Files encrypted by Kook Ransomware (DJVU/STOP Ransomware’s variant): Is there any solution?

Kook Ransomware is another variant of DJVU/STOP Ransomware that is designed to encrypt/lock all files of your computer and demands $490 – $980 amount of ransom money for decryption. This nasty file virus get enters into your machine from malicious email messages and infected attachments. For more details, you can read this article carefully. Let’s starts the discussion.

What is Kook Ransomware?

Kook Ransomware is very cunning crypto-malware and computer infection that is belongs to DJVU Ransomware family. It encrypts/locks all files stored in your machine by appending .kook File Extension and drops the copies of ransom note as “_readme.txt” in each folder of your computer. In simple word, we can say that you can’t open or access your personal files anymore due to its dubious behaviours. When you try to open such locked files, then you get ransom note on machine that claims the only way to decrypt/recover locked files is to purchase and use its decryption tools/keys/software. But it is bogus at all. If your System has detected this malware, then you should try to remove Kook Ransomware from machine immediately.

Kook Ransomware is capable of locking all types of files including images, audios, videos, games, pdf, ppt, xlx, css, html, text, documents, databases and other files of your computer. When we talk about ransom note, it contains the information about this ransomware, how you can decrypt files encrypted by ransomware, technical support’s email ID and ransom money details as well. It provides email ID “[email protected]” and “[email protected]” on ransom note and asks you to contact their technical experts directly for decryption.

Let’s take have a look at message displayed on ransom note:

ATTENTION!

Don’t worry, you can return all your files!

All your files like photos, databases, documents and other important are encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key.

The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you.

This software will decrypt all your encrypted files.

What guarantees you have?

You can send one of your encrypted file from your PC and we decrypt it for free.

But we can decrypt only 1 file for free. File must not contain valuable information.

You can get and look video overview decrypt tool:

https://we.tl/t-WJa63R98Ku

Price of private key and decrypt software is $980.

Discount 50% available if you contact us first 72 hours, that’s price for you is $490.

Please note that you’ll never restore your data without payment.

Check your e-mail “Spam” or “Junk” folder if you don’t get answer more than 6 hours.

To get this software you need write on our e-mail:

[email protected]

Reserve e-mail address to contact us:

[email protected]

Your personal ID:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Threat Summary

Threat Name: Kook Ransomware

Threat Type: File Virus, Crypto-Malware, Ransomware, File Locker

Description: Due to malicious behaviours of this nasty ransomware, you can’t open or use stored files on your computer. Previously functional files now have a different extension and you see ransom note in order to open encrypted files. The ransom message states that payment of extortion money is required to unlock your files.

Distribution methods: Spam email messages, infected attachments, torrent websites, malicious ads or popup messages, fake software updates or security alert messages, bundles of freeware or shareware and many other tricks.

Motives of crooks: Aims to collect your sensitive information and shares it to other hackers or third parties to generate some revenue. They also want to steal your money from your wallet or e-wallet.

Removal & recovery solution: In case if your System has infected from Kook Ransomware or related infection, then you need to scan your System with powerful antivirus software. After complete scan and malware removal, you can use powerful data recovery software to restore files encrypted by ransomware.

Should I pay ransom money?

Initially, cybercriminals behind Kook Ransomware attack provides free decryption test for 2-4 encrypted files of your computer that successfully decrypt these files. After that, it forces your pay $490 – $980 amount of extortion money to decrypt your files of your computer. They will never decrypt your files at any cases. So, we recommended you to please avoid paying any amount of extortion money to them for decryption. In order to pay ransom money , it can keep record of your some information such as IP address, URLs search, user name & password of various accounts, banking information and more details as well. However, it can delete all files & folders of your computer that can make your System useless.

How your System gets infected from Kook Ransomware?

The ransomware is mostly get install in your computer from spam email messages, infected email attachments and bundles of free software packages which you are downloaded from internet. Malware programmers or scammers send malicious emails in your mailbox which contain some messages along with malicious hyperlinks and attachments. These attachments can be Microsoft Office documents, pdf, zip, rar, JavaScript and other formats of files that can damage in your machine. So, you should be careful while surfing online and avoid opening attachments coming from unknown emails.

Precautionary measures:

• Create backup or keep backup your all files stored in your device on some safe external storage device
• Keep up-to-date your operating System like Windows, Mac, Linux and other OS
• Scan your computer with powerful antivirus in regular time intervals
• Remove all the faculty software running in your computer and update rest of the genuine software
• Hover your mouse over any hyperlinks before click and please double-check if the hyperlinks are belongs to some trustworthy sources or domains.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

Step 1: Remove Kook Ransomware through “Safe Mode with Networking”

Step 2: Delete Kook Ransomware using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove Kook 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 Kook Ransomware using “System Restore”

Log-in to the account infected with Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook 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.