Remove Light ransomware and Recover Encrypted Files

How to Delete Light ransomware permanently

Light ransomware (“Light Virus”) is a deadly data encrypting malware that locks the files and folders stored in the PC. Further, it demands the victim to pay ransom money in exchange for the decryption that will unlock the encrypted files. This crypto-virus adds a unique extension name to every locked file. It is capable to alter the PC registries and system files in order to achieve persistence. After settlement, it does a quick scan of PC in search of the files that it could encrypt. It is capable to lock various types of data such as audios, videos, pictures, backup files, banking data, and so on.

 A Quick Glance on Light ransomware

Name: Light ransomware, “.light file virus”, “.light virus”

Type: Crypto-virus, ransomware, data-encryption

Used Extension: Every victims gets customized extension name

Symptoms: Many of the files stored in the PC gets encrypted and it appends a custom extension

Ransom Note: A TOR network pages displays the ransom note

Distribution: Spam email attachments, unsafe hyperlinks and pop-ups, unsafe downloads

Removal: It is advised to scan the PC with a powerful anti-malware that has strong scanning algorithm and programing logics

Data Recovery: Use the backup files if you have created it prior to the malware attack. Using a data recovery tool is another option.

More Details on Light ransomware

Like any other serious ransomware infection, the associated cyber-criminals demands to pay ransom for restoring your files. Further, it execute →vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /Quiet command to delete the “Shadow Volume Copies” which is a temporary backup files created by the OS for recently deleted files and data.

Its Ransom Note Says:

“Welcome to Light

Those who cry to hide breach and pretend it do not happen will appear on list.

XXXX.com

Data stolen: Finance data, project data, email dumps, active directory dump, client information, employee information, visa information.

A sample of this data is below. More to be released if not payment

Take extra notice to email dump. It contains information on XXXX.com employees engaging in extra marital affairs in work and flying the mistress to China for sex all while allowing the customer to pay for this. When XXXX.com found out they all agreed to keep this quiet and not tell the customer. Total cost of over $50,000 to customer.

Payroll.7z

Bonus scheme for directors.7z

Bank: Exports.7z

Active Directory dump.7z

XXXX.com SSL certificate and password

private email dump”

Should I Pay the Ransom Money?

It is strongly advised that you should not pay any ransom money to cyber-criminals in any case. They are extortionist and they are not going to help you in any case. They don’t provide the working decryption key even after the money is paid. Instead of helping you, they continue damaging and encrypting other files and data. Hence paying money to cyber-criminals for decryption key is note the solution.

If the encrypted files are very important and you really want to recover it then you have to rely on the backup files. If backup is not available then try using a powerful data recovery tool. This type of tool comes with special features to retrieve the files and data damaged or deleted by ransomware.

How Light ransomware Gets Inside the PC?

Spam email campaigns, peer-to-peer file sharing networks, unsafe hyperlinks and pop-ups, deceiving ads, etc. are some of the easy source of malware intrusion. The spam emails contains attachments such as MS Office docs, PDF files etc. and are marked as important. When user opens the files, the malware payloads and scripts gets triggered. Unsafe sharing networks such as eMule, torrents are risky because any one could upload a malicious file over these networks and present it as legitimate files, cracked tools, and pirated versions and so on. Randomly clicking on every links and pop-ups during the Online browsing session is very risky as well. Visit to doubtful domains especially related to porn, gambling, Online dating etc. are dangerous.

All these intrusion methods used for the ransomware attack are deceiving. The novice users can easily get misguided and become a victim. So, you have to be very careful especially while browsing. Further, upgrade the PC security settings and use a powerful anti-malware tool to get protection in real-time.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

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

Step 2: Delete Light ransomware using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove Light 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 Light ransomware using “System Restore”

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