'.ccc File Extension' Ransomware

There is a ransomware threat that changes files' extensions to '.ccc' after encrypting them. This infection, known as the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware', follow the common pattern that has been observed in numerous other ransomware attacks. If your machine has become infected with the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware', you should avoid paying the ransom associated with this attack and, instead, recover the encrypted files from a backup. The best way to protect oneself from the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' is to use preventive techniques such as backing up all files and using a reliable security application to protect one's computer. Ransomware threats like the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' have increased substantially in the last couple of years, mainly because it is so difficult to recover from them. In most cases, computer users that have failed to backup their files have no choices but to pay the ransom or give up on ever recovering their data.

How the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' may Infect a Computer

Below, we have listed the steps that may be involved in a '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' infection:

1. In most cases, the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' enters a computer through typical threat delivery methods. For example, the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' may be delivered through a spam email attachment, a corrupted link distributed through social media, or a website that has been compromised to use an exploit kit to take advantage of vulnerabilities in its visitors' computers.
2. Once the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' enters a computer, the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' performs a full scan of it to find files to encrypt. The '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' contains a list of targeted extensions. These extensions generally match common office and other specialized software documents, game saves, pictures, movies and music files. The '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' will not stop a computer from working, but the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' will encrypt its victims' data. During the encryption process, the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' changes the affected files' extensions to '.ccc.'
3. The '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' displays a variety of messages alerting its victims that their files have been encrypted and urging them to make a payment using BitCoin or other anonymous methods. In most cases, computer users are given the option of decrypting one small file for free, to prove that its perpetrators have the decryption key. PC security researchers strongly advise against paying this ransom; there is no guarantee that these people will keep their word and restore the victim's files after the payment has been made.

Preventing a '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' Infection and Dealing with Its Effects

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to recover files that have been encrypted with the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' if one does not have the decryption key. There is a slight chance that some of the files could be recovered from the Shadow Volume using a program to browse this volume. However, the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' and similar infections now delete shadow copies of files that have been encrypted routinely. PC security researchers have also been successful in creating brute force decryptors for certain specific ransomware infections. If one does not have a backup, it may be possible to use one of these to recover files (however, this is a remote possibility).

The best way to make the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' attack ineffective is by prevention. Malware analysts urge computer users to backup all of their files, in particular if they contain important data that they would be willing to pay to recover. The backup should be located on an external drive or the cloud. When recovering from a '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' attack, computer users should ensure that all traces of the '.ccc File Extension Ransomware' infection itself are gone before restoring the backed up files – otherwise, one risks the files being encrypted once again.