Exotic 3.0 Ransomware

Despite its name, there is nothing exotic about the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware attack. The Exotic 3.0 Ransomware, developed by a hacker that goes by the name 'EvilTwin,' carries out a typical ransomware attack. There is little difference between the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware and its previous versions (Exotic and Exotic 2.0); the victim's files are compromised using a strong encryption algorithm. After the files are encrypted, they become inaccessible without access to the decryption key. The people responsible for the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware hold the decryption key, effectively taking the victim's data hostage until the ransom is paid. Essentially, the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware locks the victim's files and then asks for a ransom that should be paid within 72 hours, threatening to delete the data permanently. The files compromised by the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware will have the extension '.exotic' added to the end of the file name. The Exotic 3.0 Ransomware ransom note is displayed on the victim's computer screen. Below is the content of the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware's ransom note:

'YOU GOT INFECTED BY THE EXOTIC VIRUS
All your files are encrypted, how to restore? Pay me 50 USD in worth of bitcoins to thie address: [the BTC wallet address]
You have 72 hours to pay or all your files are gone
You can delete the virus, but your files are gone
Have a nice day =) EVILTWIN'

Apart from the text of the ransom note, the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware changes the victim's wallpaper image to display the text above. The '72 hour' limit is not true. PC security analysts recommend that computer users remove the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware infection with a reliable security program. Unfortunately, the part about the files being inaccessible is true. Once the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware or other similar ransomware Trojans encrypt the files, the files will no longer be accessible.

How the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware may Gain Access to a Computer

There are many ways in which the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware can be delivered to the victims' computers. Commonly, the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware will be delivered using corrupted email attachments or embedded links. These email messages use a variety of techniques to trick computer users into clicking the link or downloading the file, such as claiming to come from a social media platform like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The Exotic 3.0 Ransomware also can be installed by hacking into the victim's computer directly or through corrupted file downloads distributed on file sharing networks.

Preventing an Exotic 3.0 Ransomware Attack

Preventing infections involving the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware or ransomware like it is the key to keeping your files safe. One of the best things computer users can do to prevent the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware attacks is to install a reliable security program that is fully up-to-date. You should avoid opening suspicious email messages and attachments and to learn how to spot these hoaxes. Malware analysts strongly recommend that computer users update their computers and software constantly, to ensure that it is well protected against new threats being released. The most important measure computer users can take to protect their computer from the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware, however, is to backup all important files.

If your files are backed up, then you can recover from an Exotic 3.0 Ransomware attack by simply restoring the affected files from the backup. Because of this, PC security analysts strongly recommend that backups of all files be regularly maintained on an external memory device that does not remain connected to the main computer (to prevent the backups themselves from being compromised by the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware). Having backups of important files is the best solution to many threat attacks and the absolute best protection against ransomware Trojans like the Exotic 3.0 Ransomware. It is also a relatively inexpensive solution that will always be worth the expense if the worst were to happen to your data.