LCK ransomware aims to encrypt your filesIrreversible changes made to your filesWays used to distribute file-encrypting virusesRemoving LCK ransomware from PC
In this tutorial, we’ll cover all the essential information about LCK file virus and what you need to do to recover after such cyberattack.
Irreversible changes made to your files
If a user opens the ransom note it greets him with an unambiguous message – his files have been encrypted and there is no possible way to retrieve access to them. Hackers offer a solution – the user is urged to contact them via provided emails (triplock@tutanota.com or triplock@cock.li) and to pay a certain amount of money. After these actions are made, the victim supposedly will receive a decryption tool to revert the changes that have been made to his files. Unfortunately, just like other Dharma malware, LCK virus possesses a really frustrating characteristic – it uses high-end encryption ciphers. For this reason, the options on how to regain access to infected files are quite limited. The first theoretical option might be contacting the hackers and paying the ransom. However, we strongly recommend against this course of action for one simple reason – cybercriminals cannot be trusted. There are numerous cases of victims being scammed even after the payment is made. Paying the ransom will expose you to extensive and unnecessary financial damage. The second and more rational option is to completely remove LCK ransomware from your computer and then recover the files from a backup. For this reason, we highly recommend you to do regular backups since anyone might be exposed to a cyberattack at some point. It is important to mention, that you should run files from your backup only after complete removal is done since the virus might infect those files as well.
Ways used to distribute file-encrypting viruses
Generally, there are a few ways that could be used by malware developers to proliferate their viruses. The most used LCK ransomware distribution method is malspam campaigns. In principle, it works like this: thousands of deceitful emails are sent to random people every day. Developers of this social-engineering scheme ten to create all sorts of fraudulent messages that encourage the recipient to open a link or a file inside of it. If you open that file or link, your PC might get infected – especially if it does not possess sufficient cybersecurity measures. The other common way to distribute this kind of malware is to proliferate it through illegal software downloads. Let us face it – most of us, at some point in the past, tried to download something illegally – piracy is an ever-growing problem that traces its roots back to the start of the internet. It is tempting to obtain a crack, keygen, or some sort of software activation tool for your pay-to-use programs. However, you should always keep in mind that the danger induced by this course of action might far outweigh the benefits. There are other ways that could be used to distribute viruses like LCK – software bundling, adware campaigns, etc. Software bundling is a software-spreading scheme that uses harmless or even beneficial programs (that are usually free). Potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) are attached to the downloaded software and if the user is inattentive, it might slip through the installation process. Adware campaigns use intrusive ads, pop-ups, etc. to provoke interaction from you – once you press on them or allow notifications, it might install a browser hijacker. Browser hijackers make changes to your default browser settings in order to promote their fake search engine. To avoid dealing with this kind of problem we highly recommend you download only from official and trustworthy sites. In addition, always pay attention when receiving suspicious-looking emails and ads. And most importantly – create regular backups. This will prevent you from losing your data.
Removing LCK ransomware from PC
It is important to understand that if you have been affected by LCK virus, you need to take immediate action to negate all of the potential damage that might be done to your system. Even though your files might be encrypted and irretrievable, this ransomware might do more extensive damage, especially if you try to restore files from a backup. Having this in mind, we recommend you use highly rated antimalware software to remove ransomware from your system. In addition, you should always take care of your PC health after these kinds of cyberattacks – RESTORO is professional software that helps you repair the damage done to your system. To remove LCK ransomware from your PC, follow the steps below: OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.
Alternative software recommendations
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking
Before you try to remove the virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, see a video tutorial on how to do it: Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10 users Now, you can search for and remove LCK ransomware virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable malware removal program. In addition, we suggest trying a combination of INTEGO Antivirus (removes malware and protects your PC in real-time) and RESTORO (repairs virus damage to Windows OS files).
Method 2. Use System Restore
In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future. Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.
System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.
Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.
