Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by .ACTUM Virus and other threats.
Threats such as .ACTUM Virus may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article has been created to show you how to remove .ACTUM file ransomware and restore files that have been encrypted by this virus on your computer system.
The GlobeImposter ransomware family of viruses has been on the rise since the beginning of August 2017. First, the virus began with malicious e-mail spam campaigns that carry 3-digit file extensions which they add to the files, encrypted by this ransomware virus. Then, the virus switched to words in it’s “.astra file” variant which is also increasing in popularity. And now the virus is here once again with the .ACTUM file extension which it again ads to the files that have been encrypted by the virus. Then, the .ACTUM file virus aims to extort it’s victims for a hefty ransom fee in the cryptocurrency BitCoin. If you are one of the victims of .ACTUM GlobeImposter variant, we would suggest that you read this article thoroughly.
SensorsTechForum is currently looking into .ACTUM ransomware. Stay tuned for an update in the next 12 hours.
Threat Summary
Name
.ACTUM Virus
Type
Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description
GlobeImposter variant. Encrypts the files on the computer it has previously infected and then asks the owner to pay a ransom to get their important files back.
Symptoms
Documents, audio files, videos, images, archvies are encrypted. The .ACTUM file extension is added along with a ransom note.
Distribution Method
Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files
Detection Tool
See If Your System Has Been Affected by .ACTUM Virus
Windows Data Recovery by Stellar Phoenix Notice! This product scans your drive sectors to recover lost files and it may not recover 100% of the encrypted files, but only few of them, depending on the situation and whether or not you have reformatted your drive.
How Does .ACTUM Ransomware Spread
The cyber-criminals behind the latest iterations of GlobeImposter ransomware, including the .ACTUM variant use the same method to spread the ransomware – via e-mail spam that carries malicious e-mail attachments. The spammed e-mail messages may contain various different types of topics and e-mail bodies. The most often used one is the message, pretending that the malicious attachment within the e-mail address is actually a form of a receipt for a purchase the victim has not made. This is very effective, especially when it comes to the average users who get tricked into this and actually download and open the malicious file, which causes the infection.
More Information on .ACTUM File Virus
Once an infection with the .ACTUM GlobeImposter variant takes place, the virus may immediately attack your Windows Task Manager. In it, .ACTUM file virus runs malicious system processes which give it total control (administrative permissons) over your computer. This results in the .ACTUM file virus performing different malicious activities on your computer, like deleting your shadow volume copies by using the vssadmin command:
→ vssadmin delete shadows /for={DrivePartition} /oldest | /all | /shadow={Identification of the shadow copies}] /quiet
In addition to this, the .ACTUM file virus may also attack the Windows Registry Editor of the affected computer, more specifically it may add value strings in the Run and RunOnce registry keys of Windows. This results in the malware running automatically on Windows start up. The sub-keys have the following location:
The encryption used by the .ACTUM variant of GlobeImposter is conducted via the RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) algorithm with a 2048-bit strenght. This cipher makes sure that each encryption generates a separate encryption keys – public and private one. The public one can be factorized, however without the private key, you cannot unlock the files even if you wanted to. The .ACTUM file virus targets the following types of files to encrypt them:
If you have files that have the file extensions below, blocks of data on them, like their headers, is encrypted and they can no longer be opened. After the encryption process has completed, this ransomware virus adds the .ACTUM file extension to the encrypted files. The files appear like the following example:
→ New Text Document.txt.ACTUM
Remove .ACTUM GlobeImposter and Restore Encrypted Files
For the removal process of the .ACTUM file virus it is important to know that you must perform a backup of your important files beforehand. After doing so, we would suggest to follow the instructions below as they are specifically designed to help you remove this virus from your computer system either manually or automatically. Be advised that the best method to remove this virus is to do it automatically using a ransomware-specific removal tool. Such will fully and swiftly remove .ACTUM ransomware and ensure future protection as well.
If you want to restore files that have been encrypted by this ransomware virus, we suggest that you focus on trying out our alternative file recovery options below in step “2. Restore files encrypted by .ACTUM virus”. They are specifically designed to help you restore as many files as you can, without paying the ransom.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by .ACTUM Virus and other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as .ACTUM Virus. Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove .ACTUM Virus follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .ACTUM Virus files and objects
OFFER
Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!
We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
For Windows XP, Vista and 7 systems:
1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu. 2. Select one of the two options provided below:
– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.
– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.
3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.
4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account
While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.
Step 1: Open up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
2. Find files created by .ACTUM Virus on your PC
Find files created by .ACTUM Virus
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
For Newer Windows Operating Systems
Step 1:
On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
Step 2:
Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
Step 3:
Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:
Step 1:
Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
Step 2:
After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
Step 3:
After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove .ACTUM Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .ACTUM Virus and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove .ACTUM Virus. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
4. Try to Restore files encrypted by .ACTUM Virus
Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .ACTUM Virus
Ransomware infections and .ACTUM Virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested several alternative methods that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that these methods may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software. Another method for restoring your files is by trying to bring back your files via data recovery software. Here are some suggestions for preferred data recovery software solutions:
Method 2: Trying Kaspersky and EmsiSoft’s decryptors. If the first method does not work, we suggest trying to use decryptors for other ransomware viruses, in case your virus is a variant of them. The two primary developers of decryptors are Kaspersky and EmsiSoft, links to which we have provided below:
To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for Volume Shadow Copies, if ransomware has not deleted them, in Windows using the below software:
Method 4: Finding the decryption key while the cryptovirus sends it over a network via a sniffing tool.
Another way to decrypt the files is by using a Network Sniffer to get the encryption key, while files are encrypted on your system. A Network Sniffer is a program and/or device monitoring data traveling over a network, such as its internet traffic and internet packets. If you have a sniffer set before the attack happened you might get information about the decryption key. See how-to instructions below:
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article has been created to show you how to remove .ACTUM file ransomware and restore files that have been encrypted by this virus on your computer system.
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .ACTUM Virus and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
