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 CryptoShield 1.1 and other threats.
Threats such as CryptoShield 1.1 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 will help you fully remove CryptoShield 1.1 crypto virus, using the .cryptoshield file extension from your computer and restore the encrypted files.
The notorious CryptoShield ransomware virus has been spotted out in the wild in a new version. The new iteration of CryptoShield 1.1 uses a custom file extension to encrypt files. It also drops a file thatcontains a ransom note that aims to make the victim of CryptoShield aware of the ransowmare’s presence on his computer. This CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware virus also has some incremental changes in comparison to the previous versions of the malware. In case you have become a victim of this ransomware virus, we recommend reading the following material to learn how to remove CryptoShield ransomware from your computer and how to restore your files in case they have been encrypted by it.
Threat Summary
Name
CryptoShield 1.1
Type
Ransomware
Short Description
This CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware variant encrypts files with RSA cipher and asks a ransom payoff for decryption.
Symptoms
Files are enciphered and become inaccessible by any type of software. A ransom note with instructions for paying the ransom shows on the infected PC.
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.
New CryptoShield 1.1 Ransomware – How Does It Infect
Deception is the key to a successful infection and the people behind this iteration of CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware know this. This is why they use cunning e-mails to deceive users who are inexperienced into opening the files encrypted by this iteration of the ransomware.
These type of specific e-mails may contain either an embedded URL or an e-mail attachment in a .ZIP archive. These attachments may pass through most of the antivirus blockers on the e-mail platforms, because they are hidden with an obfuscation software.
Not only this, but the e-mails are created to resemble different companies or respectful organizations such as:
Banks.
FedEx.
Amazon.
E-bay.
AliExpress.
LinkedIn.
These e-mails may present the malicious attachment as an invoice, bill of arrangement and other types of files along with messages that prompt the quick reaction from the user, like a request to urgently open the attachment. This results in the virus successfully infecting the computer from which the attachment is opened.
After infection, the malicious attachment infecting with CryptoShield may connect to the remote distribution site from which the payload of CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware is downloaded.Independent malware researcher Karsten Hahn (@struppigel) has tweeted the threat’s malicious executable with a very low detection ratio on 3 February, 2017:
CryptoShield Ransomware – Encryption and Ransom
After having already infected the computer, the CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware virus gets right down to business. The ransomware aims to perform multiple activities on the compromised computer. For once, it begins to modify the Windows Registry Editor, so that the malicious files run on Windows boot up. The usually targeted registry keys for this are the Run and RunOnce subkeys. But the virus may also drop it’s ransom note in the %Startup% folder.
This is not all, however. Bear in mind that CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware is a threat like no other. This is why, the virus may also touch specific system files that will allow it to control the processes in Windows Task manager. This gives the CryptoShield virus the power to discontinue database processes and other critical Windows Processes. These actions may allow it not only to encrypt videos, music, documents, and other important files, but to encrypt whole databases as well.
For the file encryption, CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware has so far used the RSA cipher. The encryption procedure happens by replacing bytes of the files with symbols belonging to the encryption algorithm. After encryption takes placed, the files are no longer able to be opened and they appear corrupt. Similar to the 1.0 version, the files carry the .cryptoshield file extension:
Another activity which CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware may perform after the encryption is issue administrative commands to delete shadow copies from the infected computer. One of those commands may be the vssadmin command in administrative mode.
To make sure it’s presence is known, CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware drops a ransom note. This ransom note not only aims to stress the seriousness of the situation but also makes sure the user is completely aware of what the situation is. The ransom note also contains instructions on paying a hefty fee to the cyber-crooks behind this CryptoShield 1.1 variant.
CryptoShield Ransomware – Remove and Try to Decrypt Files
As a bottom line, this iteration of CryptoShield 1.1 has some very interesting changes, primarily in how it is hidden from antivirus programs. With it, we see that cyber-criminals are also keeping up with the latest technologies to ensure their profits from online extortion. In case you have fallen to be a victim of CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware, advises are not to pay any ransom to cyber-criminals.
Instead, it is strongly suggestible to remove that virus by following the instructions below. Security experts advise to use a specific anti-malware software which will scan your computer automatically, so that you can be very fast and thorough in removing CryptoShield ransomware, especially if you do not have experience in malware removal.
After having removed this CryptoShield 1.1 ransomware versions, there is nothing left for you but to wait for security researchers to make a breakrough, which, if happens, we will make sure to update it and link on this article, so we advise checking it regularly.
Besides this, you also have several alternative file restoration options, like trying to salvage your files via shadow copies, attempting to get them back via data recovery software, tracking down online communication with a network sniffer or tampering with your files via a third-party decryptor. We have added some suggestions in relation to those methods down below on step “2. Restore files encrypted by CryptoShield 1.1” below and our advice is to backup your encrypted files and try those methods with copies of them on your affected system.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by CryptoShield 1.1 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 CryptoShield 1.1. 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 CryptoShield 1.1 follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove CryptoShield 1.1 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 CryptoShield 1.1 on your PC
Find files created by CryptoShield 1.1
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.
IMPORTANT! Before starting the Automatic Removal below, please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode. This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
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 CryptoShield 1.1 with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for CryptoShield 1.1 and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove CryptoShield 1.1. 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.
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 will help you fully remove CryptoShield 1.1 crypto virus, using the .cryptoshield file extension from your computer and restore the encrypted files.
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 CryptoShield 1.1 and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
