'.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware

The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware is an encryption ransomware Trojan, used to take victims' data hostage to demand a ransom payment. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware, like other encryption ransomware Trojans, uses a strong encryption algorithm to make the victim's files inaccessible, encrypting them in the process. The victim is then forced to pay a large ransom to the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware's creators in exchange for the decryption key and software. Threats like the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware may be delivered using spam email messages, although there are various other delivery methods that can be used. Victims will receive spam email messages that claim to be legitimate emails from a shipping company, an online marketplace, a social media platform, or other legitimate senders. The email usually will be worded in a way that tricks the computer users into opening a file attachment. When the victim opens this file attachment, the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware will be downloaded and installed on the victim's computer. It is not only the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware that uses this delivery method. Apart from the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware, this tactic is associated with a wide variety of other ransomware Trojans. Because of this, learning to deal with spam email messages safely and knowing how these tactics work is an important part of ensuring that your computer is not exposed to threats like the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware.

The Confusing Changes Made by the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware to Your Files

The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware first appeared in early September 2017. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware is designed to attack computers running the Windows operating system. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware is similar to the '.locky File Extension' Ransomware, using just a different file extension to identify the files encrypted by the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware attack. The files encrypted by the attack will be identified with the string:

.[restoreassistant2[at]tutanota[.]com].LOCKED_FILE

This string is added to each encrypted file as an extension. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware targets the user-generated files, including commonly used file types such as audio, video, eBooks, texts, photos, databases, spreadsheets, configuration files, and many others. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware also will rename files, changing their names to random characters, making a '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware attack a confusing experience for inexperienced computer users. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware delivers a ransom note after encrypting the victim's files. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware's ransom note is named '!HOW_TO_UNLOCK_FILES![.]html' and it provides instructions on how to recover the files affected by the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware attack.

The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware and It's Ransom Demand

The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware ransom note, contained in the HTML file mentioned above, is opened on the infected computer's default Web browser. The ransom note informs that the victim's files were encrypted with a strong encryption algorithm. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware gives the victim 72 hours to contact the people responsible for the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware via email and it provides a unique ID for each victim of the attack. The '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware uses an encryption type in its attack that it is unlikely that victims will be able to restore the files corrupted by the attack.

Dealing with the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware

Since the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware encrypts the files in a way that it may not be possible to restore them currently, file backups are the most effective recovery method. PC security researchers advise computer users to take steps to protect their files by having backups. Computer users no longer have to pay the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware ransom to restore their data if they can recover their files quickly, which makes the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware attack ineffective completely. As it happens, if enough computer users have file backups, then attacks like the '.Locked_file File Extension' Ransomware would probably lose popularity or disappear entirely.