Remove Ccps ransomware

Ccps ransomware is file-encrypting malware from the notorious Djvu/STOP ransomware family. It’s a generic release, more or less identical to other versions from the same family. If your computer is encrypted with this ransomware, your files will have a .ccps extension added to them. All files with that extension will be unopenable until you use a special decryptor on them. Unfortunately, acquiring that decryptor will not be so easy. The only people who have it are the ones operating this ransomware. And considering they are cybercriminals, they will certainly not just give it to you. Instead, they will try to sell it to you for $980, though paying the ransom is quite risky.

 

 

Ccps ransomware is part of the Djvu/STOP malware family. The majority of the more recent versions are more or less identical but you can identify them by the extensions they add to encrypted files. This one adds .ccps, hence why it’s known as Ccps ransomware. All of your personal files will have this extension. That includes photos, videos, images, documents, etc. For example, an encrypted text.txt would become text.txt.ccps. None of the files with this extension will be openable unless you first run them through a decryptor. You will find information about the decryptor in the ransom note.

As soon as the ransomware is done with file encryption, you will find a _readme.txt ransom note in all folders that have encrypted files. The ransom note is pretty generic but it does explain how to acquire the decryptor. According to the note, if you pay the $980 ransom, you will be sent the decryptor. There supposedly will be a 50% discount for victims who make contact with the malware operators within the first 72 hours. Whether that is the case or not is questionable but paying the ransom, in general, is quite risky. The thing about engaging with cybercriminals is that there are no guarantees they will keep their end of the deal. There is nothing stopping the malware operators from simply taking the money and not sending the decryptor. Many users in the past have not received their decryptors. So while the decision to pay the ransom is yours, you need to be aware of the risks that come with paying the ransom.

If you do not have a backup, there is no good news. Your only option is to wait for a free decryption tool to be released. However, developing one will be difficult for malware researchers because this ransomware uses online keys to encrypt files. This means that the keys are unique to each user and unless those keys are released by the malware operators themselves (or by law enforcement if they ever catch those responsible), developing a working decryptor will be difficult. There is a free Djvu/STOP decryptor released by Emsisoft but it will not work on Ccps ransomware. It doesn’t hurt to try, however.

If you have a habit of backing up your files and have copies of the files that have been encrypted, you should have no issues. However, before you start recovering files, you need to ensure that the ransomware is no longer present. Do not attempt to remove Ccps ransomware manually because you could end up causing additional damage. Instead, you need to use anti-malware software. Once the malware is gone, you can connect to your backup.

Ransomware distribution methods

If you have bad browsing habits, you have a much higher chance of picking up a malware infection. Bad online habits include opening unsolicited email attachments, using torrents to pirate, clicking on ads when browsing unsafe sites, etc. If you take the time to develop better habits, you will be able to avoid a lot of malware in the future.

There are reasons why pirating copyrighted content using torrents is a bad idea. Not only is it essentially stealing content, but it’s also dangerous for the computer/data because torrent sites are full of malware. A lot of torrent sites are poorly regulated, which allows malicious actors to upload malware disguised as popular movies, video games, TV series, software, etc. When users do not know the signs of a malicious torrent and download it, they end up infecting their computers with malware.

Another very common way of distributing malware is email attachments. This is known as malspam. For malicious actors, this is a low-effort but very effective way of distributing malware because many users are not careful with email attachments. Cybercriminals buy email addresses from various hacker forums, so if a malicious email lands in your inbox, your email address has been leaked or part of a data breach. If that is the case, there’s not much you can do about it besides be very careful with unsolicited emails that contain attachments. Fortunately, malicious emails are often quite obvious so as long as you know what to look for, you should be able to identify malspam. The emails are often made to appear like they’re sent from legitimate companies but they are full of grammar/spelling mistakes which immediately give them away. No professional email from a legitimate company will contain mistakes, at least not obvious ones. Another sign is senders claiming to be from companies whose services users use only to address users with User, Member, Customer, and other generic terms. Companies will always address users by their names because it would look unprofessional otherwise. In some cases, the emails can be quite sophisticated. This is why it’s highly recommended to scan all unsolicited email attachments with anti-virus or VirusTotal before opening them.

Ccps ransomware removal

Ransomware is considered to be a very serious infection so it’s not a good idea to try to remove Ccps ransomware manually. You could end up causing additional damage unless you know exactly what you’re doing. Furthermore, it’s possible to miss some parts of the ransomware, which could allow it to recover later. And if you connect to your backup while the ransomware is still present on your computer, your backed-up files would become encrypted as well. To prevent further damage, you need to use anti-malware software to delete Ccps ransomware from your computer. Only when the ransomware is fully gone should you connect to your backup to start file recovery.