Taka Ransomware

Taka Ransomware is yet another malicious ransomware infection to attack vulnerable Windows operating systems. The developer of this devious threat has not wasted time creating new, surprising distribution attacks. Instead, this infection uses the tried and tested method of infiltrating the malicious launcher via corrupted spam email attachments. According to our researchers, the corrupted file attached to the misleading spam email might have a Java icon, but you need to be careful with ALL spam emails that come your way. If you carelessly open the malicious file, the devious ransomware will be unleashed, and you will not even know about it. The sample we have tested dropped the malicious .exe file to the %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% folder, and it had random characters in its name. This is the file that you need to delete because it initiates all malicious processes. Unfortunately, most users remove Taka Ransomware components after it is done corrupting their files.

When the malicious Taka Ransomware is done encrypting your personal files, the “ATTENTION” window pops up informing you that the AES encryption algorithm was used to encrypt the files and that you need to obtain a “private key” to have them decrypted. It is also mentioned that your attempts to remove the ransomware would result in the destruction of the key. Needless to say, many users will be put off from deleting malicious components because of this warning. Although you can close this scary window, it will pop up every time you log in, and that is because a task named “enc” is created. The ransomware also creates a file named “help_dcfile.txt”, and it is placed on the Desktop. This is the file that we consider a ransom note because it informs that you need to pay money to get the private key, and the payment process is explained in detail. Although we are sure that your files are important to you, it is crucial that you do not just follow the demands blindly.

According to the message within the TXT file, cyber criminals expect you to pay a ransom of 0.5 BTC – which converts to $303 or €270 – within 72 hours. The first step in the instructions tells you to purchase Bitcoins using one of the markets. Then, you are expected to send the fee to a specific Bitcoin address, which is “1HfaCTfwsVXDitg9SgV8cR8ujYs7ZcKkto.” Afterward, you need to confirm the payment by entering the transaction ID into the box within the “ATTENTION” window. According to the information provided to you by cyber criminals, once the transaction is conformed, you will get a link to the decryption key via a public email account. Our researchers have found that it is possible to track all transactions at blockchain.info/address/1HfaCTfwsVXDitg9SgV8cR8ujYs7ZcKkto. It looks like the creator of the malicious Taka Ransomware has all the power to provide its victims with the decryption keys. Unfortunately, trusting the word of cyber criminals is a true gamble. In fact, there are many victims of other ransomware infections that report not getting the decryption key after successful transactions.

As you must have realized by now, Taka Ransomware has encrypted all of your personal files. It should be easy for you to spot these files, as they must have the “xxx” extension attached to them. According to our research, one of the TeslaCrypt Ransomware versions used the exact same extension as well. If these files are truly irreplaceable, and you cannot retrieve them from a backup, you must be thinking about paying the ransom. If you are, keep one thing in mind: You might get scammed. If you believe that your files are worth the risk, we will not stop you. Just make sure you think things through.

Whether or not you pay the ransom fee and get your files back, you need to delete Taka Ransomware from your operating system, and you need to do it fast. Our removal guide was created to help you clean your operating system manually, but, of course, that is not an ideal option. We recommend using an automated malware remover/anti-malware tool instead, and there are several reasons for that. First of all, this software was created to locate and eliminate malware automatically, which means that even the most inconspicuous and clandestine components would not be overlooked. Second, this software can keep your PC protected in the future, and that is the most important thing.

Taka Ransomware Removal

1. Launch Explorer by tapping Win+E keys.
2. Enter %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% (or %PROGRAMFILES%) into the address bar.
3. Right-click and Delete the malicious .exe file (look for a file with 6 random characters in the name).
4. Enter %WINDIR%\Tasks into the address bar.
5. Right-click and Delete the task named enc.
6. Move to the Desktop and Delete the file named help_dcfile.txt.
7. Install a trusted malware scanner to check if no leftovers were missed during the removal.