Most are familiar with the ransomware that has become so popular with the cybercriminals.



Ransomware is usually installed by finding a vulnerable spot in the user's computer, which can be exploited by opening a phishing email or accessing a malicious website. Once installed, the software will block access to the system and leave a ransom message when the computer is restarted.

Recently, to fight against these attacks Kaspersky has teamed up with the Dutch police National High Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) to offer a tool that aims to unlock encrypted files locked by the ransomware software CoinVault.

The NHTCU found a CoinVault server with a database of decryption keys. Kaspersky has been able to create a tool to decrypt the files. It may not work on all computers, but it is a large database and may be able to help.

As more decryption keys are discovered, they are promptly added to the database.

If you fell victim to CoinVault, you can visit Kaspersky to find decryption keys and a How-to guide.

Source: Element14