What is Afrodita Ransomware?
Afrodita Ransomware is a rather obscure ransomware infection that enters target computers to extort money from their victims. Getting infected by a ransomware can be a devastating experience because not all programs have public decryption tools. Therefore, the best remedy against a ransomware infection is a file back-up. You need to regularly make copies of your data and then back it on either on an external hard drive or a cloud drive.
As for Afrodita Ransomware, this program deletes itself once the file encryption is complete, but there are some leftover files you need to terminate. For that, please scroll to the bottom of this description for manual removal guidelines.
Where does Afrodita Ransomware come from?
The file that infects you with Afrodita Ransomware is called Invoice.xlsm. This file looks like some invoice document, but in reality, it launches the ransomware installation. How do users come across this file? It is very likely that it gets delivered to them via spam email or some messaging application. If it comes through spam, you need to delete the email no questions asked. Of course, you might be working with such documents every single day, and this might look like the usual routine for you. However, if you receive a file from an unknown sender, it is always better to check the file first. The same applies to all the files you receive from random people via messaging apps. If possible, scan the received files with a licensed antispyware tool. It is very likely that this way you will be able to prevent a dangerous infection.
For the most part, it is hard to pinpoint the exact channels used for Afrodita Ransomware distribution. But the basic thing is that if you remain attentive when you encounter new content online or when you download something, it should be enough to avoid such threats.
What does Afrodita Ransomware do?
Afrodita Ransomware works like any other ransomware infection we can encounter online. When you download the Invoice.xlsm file and open it, the ransomware infects your computer through the malicious VBS macro that is within the file. The infection connects to the Internet and downloads the malicious executable file that looks like a JPG image file. However, our research team says that the file doesn’t work anymore, so perhaps part of the infection might not be fully functioning. Or, there could be a new server added to the malware makeup.
Either way, once the malicious executable is downloaded, it is saved as Afrodita.dll, and then it launches the encryption on your system. Our research team says that it might encrypt various drives, but from what our tests have shown Afrodita Ransomware doesn’t seem to affect Program Files, Windows, App Data, and All Users directories. Thus, the program doesn’t cripple your system, and your computer can still run even if your files are locked up.
When the encryption is complete, Afrodita Ransomware drops the __README__ENCRYPTED__AFRODITA.txt ransom note in every directory that was affected by the encryption. The note follows the usual ransomware agenda:
Your files are encrypted, and currently unavailable. You are free to check.
Every file is recoverable by following our instructions below.
<…>
If you don’t want to pay the fee for bringing files back that’s okey,
but remeber that you will lose a lot of time – and time is money.
So, Afrodita Ransomware wants to contact its owners by installing the Tor Browser and accessing the link given in the ransom note. Or you need to use the given email. However, security experts always maintain that purchasing the decryption key from cybercriminals is not a good option. For one, they might not even issue the decryption key. And two, you would encourage these criminals to promote more malware by paying them.
How do I remove Afrodita Ransomware?
As mentioned, Afrodita Ransomware deletes itself once the encryption is complete. Thus, you probably should focus on restoring your files more. If you have your data saved someplace else, you can remove the encrypted files and transfer the good ones back into your computer. If not, perhaps you should address a professional for other file recovery options. Usually, it is possible to restore at least some of your files, so please do not lose hope.
Manual Afrodita Ransomware Removal
- Press Win+R and type %APPDATA%. Click OK.
- Delete the info.jpg from the directory.
- Run a full system scan with SpyHunter.
100% FREE spyware scan and
tested removal of Afrodita Ransomware*
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