Remove YaKo Ransomware And Recover Infected Data

Simple Steps To Delete YaKo Ransomware

YaKo Ransomware is a new destructive file-encrypting malware that was first spotted by security researcher xiaopao and belongs to the family of Xorist ransomware. Once this deadly crypto-virus gets installed in the Windows computers, it scans the entire machine to find the files that are in its target list and after detecting such files, encrypts them using a powerful encryption algorithm. It also appends “.YaKo” extension with the name of each infected data and makes them inaccessible for the victims. The real objective of the cyber criminals behind such lethal attack is to extort illicit profits from the affected people. And therefore, after successful data encryption, it suggests them paying a huge amount of ransom to the attackers in exchange for the decryption software.

Depth Analysis of YaKo Ransomware:

YaKo Ransomware often infiltrates the targeted PCs secretly without users’ consent and then alters the critical registry editors in order to get automatically activated with each Window reboot. It is able to compromise almost all types of users’ files including images, audios, videos, documents, PDFs, spreadsheets etc. and make them totally useless. After successful data encryption, this precarious ransomware displays a pop-up, changes the desktop’s wallpaper and also leaves a text file titled “HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt” into each folder that contains the locked files. These are the ransom notes that inform victims about the unkind situation and also provide them the data-recovery instruction.

Notes displayed by YaKo Ransomware state that all your essential files have been encrypted and to regain access to them, you must pay a ransom amount of 0.1 BTC to the criminals. At the time of writing, the ransom price is approx. 1100 USD which keeps fluctuating. The message also contains links to sites from where you can buy bitcoins. Once you get the required sum, you will have to transfer it to he provided cryptocurrency wallet address. After that, victims will have to contact the attackers via email address to get the functional decryptor and open the locked files.

Text Presented In The Ransom Notes:

In your attention!!!

Hello, your server is very vulnerable, that’s why you became a victim of ransomware

All your files are currently encrypted

However, there is also good news, the files can be decrypted if you pay 0.1 bitcoin.

All you have to do is follow the steps below.

Buy 0.1 bitcoin, you can easily buy bitcoin from this sites:

www.localbitcoins.com

www.paxful.com

Send the amount to this wallet: 1LTG4TiX9NyLSzyXQPFm6ANGRRAZH7D45R

After submitting, contact me at this email address: [email protected]

With this subject: YAKOMOKO-391029301

Immediately after this you will receive an email with the keys and a small tutorial for decrypting the files.

Here’s another list of where to buy bitcoin:

hxxps://bitcoin.org/en/exchanges

Should You Pay The Ransom?

In case your important files and documents have been encoded by this YaKo Ransomware and you decide to make payment to the hackers, there is a huge change that you will get scammed at the end. Remember, the only motive of such criminals is to extort illicit revenues from the victimized users. You have absolutely no guarantee that they will provide you the decryption software even after taking the money. In many cases, criminals send rogue program to the affected people in the name of decryption tool which is indeed a hazardous threat itself and causes more damages to the work-station. So, never consider dealing with such attackers under any circumstance and find any alternative to restore the locked files.

What Should The Victims Do?

Here in such pernicious situation, the first thing you need to do is to perform YaKo Ransomware removal from the device immediately. Such kinds of file-encoding viruses have tendency to keep compromising victims’ other essential data until they permanently get terminated from them machine. As far as recovering the infected files is concerned, you should a recently made back. However, the problem is that all people don’t a proper backup. If this is the case with you then the only option left for you is to try an effective data-recovery application.

Threat Summary

Name: YaKo Ransomware

Type: Ransomware, Crypto-virus

Short Description: Hazardous parasite that locks users’ vital files and then asks them to pay the hackers a sum of ransom to get the functional decryptor.

Extension: “.YaKo”

Ransom demanding message: Text presented in the pop-up displayed once encryption is complete, desktop wallpaper and HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt

Attackers’ Contact: “[email protected]”

Criminals BitCoins Wallet Address: 1LTG4TiX9NyLSzyXQPFm6ANGRRAZH7D45R (Bitcoin)

Symptoms: Victims cannot open files stored on their system, previous functional files now have different extension, 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.

How Does This Crypto-virus Enter Your PC?

Malicious actors behind the ransomware use multiple distribution techniques in order to expand the scope of the attack. By using different methods, crooks increase the chances of victims getting infected, and, consequently, paying the ransom. Distribution tactics such as software cracks, pirated program installers etc. are also extremely successful. However, the most common method to spared file-encrypting threats is still spam email campaigns. In this campaign, a large number of emails are sent that are disguised as ‘important’ or ‘vital’. Nevertheless, they contain malicious attachments in forms of PDF and Ms Office documents, executables, archives, JavaScript etc.

As soon as these attachments are opened, run or executed, the malware infection process initiates. So, you should ignore emails that are coming from unknown sender and never open their suspicious attachments before carefully analyzing them. In case you are already a victim of this hazardous threat, you must remove YaKo Ransomware from the PC as early as possible.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

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

Step 2: Delete YaKo Ransomware using “System Restore”

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

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