Threat Database Ransomware NotAHero Ransomware

NotAHero Ransomware

By GoldSparrow in Ransomware

The NotAHero Ransomware is a ransomware Trojan that prevents computer users from accessing their files by taking them hostage. First observed on April 10, 2017, the NotAHero Ransomware will lock the victim's files in a password-protected archive, making them inaccessible completely. This is a method that is different from the approach used by most encryption ransomware Trojans, which instead use an encryption algorithm to encrypt the victim's files directly. The NotAHero Ransomware may be delivered to the victim's computer in the form of a corrupted email attachment, which takes the form of a text file with enabled macro scripts that download and install the NotAHero Ransomware on the victim's computer. Although the NotAHero Ransomware carries out a different approach to locking the victims out of their files, the effect is the same: the victim is locked out of their own computers.

The NotAHero Ransomware Uses a Different Encryption Method

Malware analysts have analyzed ransomware Trojans like the NotAHero Ransomware before, which transfer the victim's files into a password protected archive rather than encrypting the files by using an encryption algorithm directly. In the case of the NotAHero Ransomware, the victim's files are moved into a ZIP archive that is password-protected, and the password is sent to the NotAHero Ransomware's Command and Control server, out of the reach of the victim or the security software. The NotAHero Ransomware creates an archive on the drive with the largest amount of free space. The NotAHero Ransomware will target a wide variety of file types, moving them to the archive and locking them away from the victim. The file that contains the files transferred by the NotAHero Ransomware may be named 'locked.zip' and is marked as 'Read Only' to prevent computer users from deleting it. The NotAHero Ransomware will drop a text file named 'Pay me bitcoins to get all your files unlocked.txt,' indicating to the victim to pay through the file's name clearly. The file does not contain much text, just the following brief message:

'Send it to this adress
1NUsi15hENCZYu2Wy3q2RmRmBZF6LUU6pn'

Do not Pay the NotAHero Ransomware Ransom

Since there are no means to contact the people responsible for the NotAHero Ransomware attack, there is no intent on their part to provide the password to the computer users affected by the NotAHero Ransomware. Because of this, computer users should not transfer BitCoin to the address mentioned in the NotAHero Ransomware ransom note. It is possible that the version of the NotAHero Ransomware that is in circulation currently is an unfinished version of a Trojan that is still under development. In that case, it is possible that a future version of the NotAHero Ransomware will be released, which will include more details in regards to the ransom payment. However, even then, it is not recommended that computer users do not pay the NotAHero Ransomware ransom since it helps finance the con artists' activities and claim more victims.

Dealing with a NotAHero Ransomware Infection

Unfortunately, when the NotAHero Ransomware infects your files, it may not be possible to recover them unless you have the appropriate tools. Instead, computer users should try to limit the damage that threats like the NotAHero Ransomware can cause to a computer. The best protection against ransomware Trojans like the NotAHero Ransomware is to have backups copies of all files. If computer users have backups, they can restore the affected files by making copies of the backups, taking away all of the con artists' leverage. Use an up-to-date security program to protect your computer, which can prevent the NotAHero Ransomware from being installed in the first place. Apart from this, don't forget that threats such as the NotAHero Ransomware may be distributed using corrupted email attachments delivered in spam email messages. Learning to handle these messages with caution can help computer users prevent these attacks and ensure that their data stays safe.

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