What is HELP_DECRYPT?
HELP_DECRYPT is a ransomware program that encrypts your files and then demands that you pay a ransom fee in order to decrypt them. This is a business scheme employed computer cyber criminals all over the world, and you just happened to be affected by it. Unfortunately, there is no way to remove HELP_DECRYPT from your computer because the infection is known to delete itself the moment it unleashes the payload. On the other hand, it would still be a good idea to run a full system scan as you can never know what additional programs might have entered your computer.
Where does HELP_DECRYPT come from?
This ransomware infection is a newer version of the Cryptowall ransomware. The Cryptowall ransomware, in turn, comes from a notorious group of similar infections that includes the likes of Cryptolocker and CryptoDefence. These programs usually get distributed via spam email attachments, so we can say that users initiate the infection themselves without even realizing it.
If you receive email messages from unknown senders, you should not open the attachments that come with them. Especially, if you are urged to open them or the attachments are zip files. Unzipping a .rar file and opening it eventually leads to malware infection, and you need to deal with the consequences of HELP_DECRYPT unleashing its payload on your computer.
What does HELP_DECRYPT do?
When the installer file for this ransomware application is launched, HELP_DECRYPT runs an anti-VM (virtual machine scan) which means that the infection has been programmed not be run in a virtual environment. This way the creators of this infection have made sure that the program runs only on the actual target computer.
Once inside the affected system, HELP_DECRYPT encrypts almost all of your most frequently used files and then creates three infection files: HELP_DECRYPT.HTML, HELP_DECRYPT.TXT, and HELP_DECRYPT.PNG. These files are accompanied by a shortcut that leads to ayh2m57ruxjtwyd5.blindpayallfor.com/11h35v. After the infection takes place your computer restarts itself, and then once the system loads again, you are automatically redirected to the site that tells you how you can decrypt your files.
According to the information provided by HELP_DECRYPT, you should not look for any decryption method because these “solutions do not exist.” The infection claims that the only way to restore your files is paying for the program right now. However, just like it was with the original Cryptowall, users cannot trust that the program will indeed issue the decryption key. It is far more likely that the criminals behind this infection will take all of your payments and let your system rot with inaccessible files.
How do I deal with HELP_DECRYPT?
Since you cannot remove the program from your computer, you need to find a way around this issue. If you have a file backup on an external drive, this might be the time you make use of it. It might not be possible to decrypt all the files on your own, although there should be multiple decryption tools out there.
The most important thing is to protect your PC from similar infections in the future. Stay away from unfamiliar websites and do not download programs you do not recognize. What’s more, if you think that there might still be some malicious threats on your PC, run a full system scan with a SpyHunter free scanner and delete the unwanted programs (if any).
How to Download SpyHunter
- Open your browser.
- Type http://www.anti-spyware-101.com/spyhunter into the address bar.
- Press Enter and click Run on the download dialog box.
- Install the program and scan your PC.
tested removal of HELP_DECRYPT*
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