Remove LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware

Tips to delete LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware and recover locked files

LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware is a file encrypting virus that belongs to ransomware family. Apart from its name, it has no relation to copyright law infringement of illegal material. This malware is mainly designed to encrypt files and demand ransom from victims. While encrypting files, all of the compromised files are appended with “.LOCKED” extension. Remember that, it uses RSA-1024 cryptographic algorithm in order to encrypt files and makes them totally useless.

Details about LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware

As soon as locking process get finished, it creates a ransom notes in pop-up window and in text file format named “README TO UNLOCK.txt” and placed it in every folder that contains encrypted files. As mentioned earlier in the paragraph, this ransomware is not connected to genuine authorities and the messages presented in the ransom note are in the typical manner. The text presented in pop-up window and text file inform victims that all their files have been encrypted.

Further, in order to decrypt it users are instructed to purchase decryption key from the cyber criminals who are behind LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware infection. In order to receive further more instructions, victims are asked to visit provided websites. Users are warned to contact the people behind this within 5 days otherwise the key stored in remote server will be deleted permanently and decryption of encrypted files becomes impossible.

Despite this, they also warn victims not to rename encrypted files or try to decrypt them manually using third party tools like antivirus software otherwise it may cause permanent data loss. Thus, if you think to pay money to them then it will not restore your files but harm your device again and again. So, it is highly advised to remove LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware immediately from the system to prevent it from further infections.

Short description

Name: LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware

Type: Ransomware, Cryptovirus, File locking virus

Extension used: .LOCKED

Ransom demanding message: Text presented in the pop-up and README TO UNLOCK.txt

Cyber criminal contact: Website on Tor network

Short Description: The ransomware encrypts files on your computer system and demands a ransom to be paid to allegedly recover them.

Symptoms: This ransomware will encrypt your files by appending the .LOCKED extension to them, along with a unique identification number placing the new .LOCKED extension as a secondary.

Distribution Method: Spam Emails, Email Attachments, malicious ads, porn or torrent sites, bundles of free software packages, unsafe file sharing networks and many more.

Damage: Leads to data loss. Secretly adds other dubious malware infections along with ransomware.

Removal: In order to remove LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware and other malware infections, we recommend you to use reliable antivirus removal tool or follow given removal instructions.

File Recovery Process: Use data backup or other data recovery tool or software

Conclusion:

To recover encrypted files, if you are thinking to pay money to hackers then it is very worst idea because paying money to them does not provide any positive results and you will merely get scammed. Their main aim is not to unlock your files rather than to steal your personal as well as financial information and used for illegal purposes. Hence, there is only one possible solution is to recover files is by using backup (if created earlier). The other option for you is to use data recovery tool/key.

Intrusion methods of ransomware:

Ransomware infection or viruses infect computer by using various deceptive methods. Some of them are spam email campaign, untrustworthy software download sources (peer to peer networks, free file hosting websites and similar), fake updater, Trojan and many others. As you know, spam campaigns are used to send deceptive emails to the users containing malicious attachments. Such infectious files can be in various formats like archive and executable files, JavaScript etc. If opened, it downloads and installs malware. So, users are recommended to stay away from these vicious ransomware intrusion sources.

Remove LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware

Manual malware removal instructions have been described below under this article which might be lengthy and time-consuming. If you have much knowledge about computer then you can go through it. Besides this, you can also use reliable antivirus removal tool that has the capability to remove LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware completely and safely from the PC to keep it safe from further ransomware attack.

Text presented in ransom note:

Your files are locked and encrypted with a unique RSA-1024 key!
To regain access you have to obtain the private key (password).
++++++++++++++++++++
To receive your private key (password):
Go to hxxp://u5ubeuzamg54x5f3.onion.to and follow the instructions.
You will receive your private key (password) within 24 hours.
Your ID# is –

 

If you can’t find the page, install the Tor browser (hxxps://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en) and browse to
hxxp://u5ubeuzamg54x5f3.onion
++++++++++++++++++++
BEWARE – this is NOT a virus.
The ONLY way to unlock your files/data is to obtain your private key (password) or you may consider all your data lost.
You have just 5 days before the private key (password) is deleted from our server, leaving your data irrevocably broken.
++++++++++++++++++++
LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND SUSPICION OF (CHILD)PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

Step 1: Remove LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware through “Safe Mode with Networking”

Step 2: Delete LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL ransomware using “System Restore”

Log-in to the account infected with LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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 LOCKED ON POSSESSION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 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.