Recover Encrypted Files from Ransomware?
Hey folks, got hit by ransomware? Don’t worry, continue reading this blog post and know the steps to recover encrypted files from ransomware.
I wanna talk about that nightmare nobody wants to face but loads of us end up facing anyway ransomware. You know the drill. You wake up one morning grab a coffee fire up your laptop and bam everything’s locked up. Big scary message on your screen saying your files are encrypted pay us or else.
It’s a punch in the gut I get it. Been there once myself a while back so figured let’s break this down in a straight talk way and see what you can actually do to get your files back if you don’t wanna hand over money to these scumbags.
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Expert Tips to Recover Encrypted Files from Ransomware
If you got hit by ransomware, then don’t take stress and follow the below mentioned tips and tricks.
First things first breathe
It feels like the world’s crashing down trust me but don’t panic. Unplug from your network if you can because the ransomware might still be spreading or talking to its command server. If you got other machines around isolate them. Literally unplug the cable or turn off the Wi-Fi.
One time a friend of mine in Delhi didn’t move fast enough and the ransomware jumped from his desktop to his kid’s school laptop on the same wifi total mess. So yeah, move quickly.
Figure out what hit you
Not all ransomware is the same right some of it is old and has free decryptors floating around while some is brand new and you might be totally stuck
Check the ransom note for the name of the ransomware. Also check the file extensions on your locked files like if they all end with .locky or .crypt or .goyaa or something weird like that.
You can copy a few of those encrypted files plus the ransom note and upload it to a free site like ID Ransomware. It’ll try to figure out which strain it is and if there’s a free decryptor available.
A buddy of mine from Pune had all his files renamed with .STOPDjvu and lucky for him there was a free decryptor online for some versions so he got about half his files back without paying. It’s worth a shot
Look for backups
Ok backups sound boring but trust me they save you big time. Check if you got any cloud sync running that maybe didn’t get hit yet. Sometimes, OneDrive or Google Drive keep old versions of files you can roll back to before the attack.
Or maybe you got an old backup on a dusty external hard drive even if it’s a bit outdated you’ll thank yourself for having it.
My cousin from Jaipur found a backup on a hard drive from two months before the attack and even though he lost a bit of work he saved all the family photos which was a win in my book
Try free decryptors
There are some awesome folks out there who release free tools. Check out No More Ransom or BleepingComputer forums. They got tools for a bunch of the popular ransomware families. These tools allow to recover encrypted files from ransomware.
Just be careful where you download from. Some shady sites pretend to offer decryptors but just infect you worse. Stick to trusted cybersecurity websites or links you find through ID Ransomware.
Call a pro if you gotta
If it’s business data or something super critical and you can’t afford to screw around maybe bring in a pro. A digital forensics expert or data recovery specialist can help. Sure, it costs money but sometimes they know tricks you or me wouldn’t even think of.
A small accounts firm I know in Mumbai got hammered by ransomware. Their IT guy tried to fix it alone and ended up wiping everything. Later they called a pro, and he managed to recover like 80 percent of the data from hidden shadow copies the IT guy never even saw.
Should you pay the ransom
Honestly, my advice don’t. Paying these criminals just funds their next attack and there’s no promise you’ll even get the key. Loads of people pay and get nothing back.
But look I’m not gonna judge you if there’s absolutely no other option. If it’s life or death data or something mission critical and backups are gone you might have to roll the dice and pay. Just know it’s a huge risk.
A quick reality check
Getting ransomware files back ain’t easy. Sometimes you really do lose them if no backups or decryptors exist yet and that’s the sad truth.
Next time learn from this and keep proper offline backups. Test them now and then. Keep your systems patched and please don’t click random email attachments from “shipping” companies you never heard of.
Final thoughts
Getting hit with ransomware feels horrible, but you can absolutely fight back identify the strain check for free decryptors look for backups call in pros if needed and only pay if there is no other road left
I hope you never need this post again but if you do stay calm and take it one step at a time to recover encrypted files from ransomware.