Striked Ransomware

Striked Ransomware is encryption malware that locks users’ files on compromised machines and then drops a ransom note. It acts as a typical ransomware infection, but it differs from similar threats in one sense – its ransom note does not tell users to pay a ransom, so there is a tiny possibility that it does not need users’ money. Of course, it is more likely that users will be told that they need to pay a ransom in exchange for the decryption key if they contact cyber criminals behind this ransomware infection as instructed. You can try to write an email to rap@mortalkombat.top for a free decryptor, but you are not allowed to send a ransom if it turns out that the decryption tool can only be purchased from cyber criminals. According to researchers at pcthreat.com, sending malware developers money is the worst ransomware victims can do because they will never stop developing harmful software if they always get what they want easily. Also, nobody knows whether or not you will get the decryption tool. Last but not least, the malicious components of Striked Ransomware will not be erased from your system even if you pay a ransom. We still hope that cyber criminals will give you the decryptor if you simply contact them, but, as they say, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

A new extension .#rap@mortalkombat.top#{unique ID} appended to some files and programs on the system proves again that a ransomware-infection Striked Ransomware has successfully infiltrated the computer and has already encrypted files. Following the successful encryption of users’ files, this infection drops a ransom note on Desktop. It has the name README_DECRYPT.txt, so we are sure it will be a piece of cake to find it. The message this file contains states that all files, including “documents, photos, databases, save games and other important data were encrypted” and encourages users to contact the developer of this ransomware infection by the provided email address rap@mortalkombat.top. Although this ransom note tells users that they will receive a special program to decrypt files soon after writing an email to the provided email address, we cannot promise that you will be given the decryptor for free because ransomware infections usually demand money from users. If you receive an answer from cyber criminals telling you to send money in Bitcoins, do not give a cent to them no matter you need your files back or do not care about them at all. As has been mentioned at the beginning of this article, you might get nothing from them, and you will definitely encourage cyber criminals to continue performing malicious activities and developing harmful software by giving them your money. Even though you are told not “to uninstall the program or run antivirus software,” its deletion is the first thing you have to do. Once you are done with it, you could try alternative data recovery methods (e.g. recover files from an online external storage system).

We have to admit that there is not much we know about the distribution of this ransomware infection because it is not one of those prevalent infections, and it is still not easy to make final conclusions about its dissemination. According to researchers at pcthreat.com, it should not differ from other ransomware-type infections. That is, spam emails should be employed to disseminate this infection primarily. Do you remember opening an attachment from a spam email? It could have looked like an important document sent by any company/institution. If you remember checking the contents of a spam email before discovering your files encrypted, there is no doubt that Striked Ransomware has arrived on your PC from spam mail. It should be emphasized that it is only one of several methods that might be employed to spread ransomware infections, so be more careful and enable a security application on your computer after the removal of the active ransomware infection you have on your system.

Striked Ransomware must be deleted as soon as possible because the accidental click on its malicious file might launch it again and you will discover your new files encrypted again. There are only two components of this infection on your PC, i.e. the malicious executable file and README_DECRYPT.html (the ransom note), so you should not find its removal an exhausting task. Our manual removal guide should also make it considerably easier to delete this ransomware infection manually.

How to delete Striked Ransomware

1. Open the Windows Explorer (press Win+E).
2. Open the following places one by one (type the path in the URL bar of your Explorer): %USERPROFILE%\Desktop, %USERPROFILE%\Downloads, %TEMP%, and %APPDATA%.
3. Delete README_DECRYPT.html from %USERPROFILE%\Desktop.
4. Clear the Trash bin.