Losers Ransomware

The Losers ransomware is a computer threat that is programmed to encrypt files so that the authors of the infection could demand for a release fee, or a so-called ransom. Fortunately, the threat fails to encrypt files, which would be done by using the AES encryption algorithm. Nevertheless, even when a threat does not succeed in data encryption, that does not mean that you should not take any measures. The threat must be removed to prevent further infections and system malfunctions. If your computer has been attacked by a piece of ransomware that suggests that the machine could beaffected, or is affected, by another infection too. So, if you have the Loser ransomware on the computer, do not wait but remove it from the PC.

The Loser ransomware is part of a ransomware family that includes Cry9, Cry36, Cry128, Cryton, and some other destructive infections. Ransomware is now becoming more and more popular in the underground market because of the profits having been generated over the last years. Because of the increasing interest in ransomware, it is crucial to secure the system against potential threats, which vary in complexity and capabilities to cause damage.

After encryption, the Losers ransomware would add the .losers extension and create a .html file containing a ransom warning. The file would be easily recognized because of the name HOWTODECRYPTFILES. In the ransom note, victims are required to pay the fee of 500 USD in bitcoins. Bitcoin is a decentralized payment system enabling everyone interested to make money transactions. Payment is made anonymously, which enables cyber criminals to gather significant sums of money and remain unidentified. Law enforcement and security companies attempt to raise awareness of the danger of ransomware and interaction with cyber criminals. If you happen to deal with a piece of malware that requires that you submit a payment to some account in exchange to your data, do not trust the promise. At times, ransomware creators offers their victims to have a few files decrypted to earn their trust. Even if they do decrypt those files, nobody can guarantee that after paying up you will regain access to all the files encrypted.

In order to prevent data loss, you should develop a habit of backing up your data. It does not matter what files you value, be it photos or simple text documents; you should have their copies so that you can use them whenever the PC gets locked by malware or stops functioning normally.

The Losers threat copies itself to the %ALLUSERSPROFILE% directory and also creates its point of execution in the Windows registry. More precisely, the infection targets the registry key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Anything added below of this hierarchical key is executed when a users logs in to the system. If you are familiar with the Registry, you will have no trouble removing the malicious value "system" added below this registry key.

The Losers ransomware might arrive at the computer alongside questionable freeware programs, which most likely will have a negative effect on the PC. Moreover, malware can function as a backdook for other threats, which means that in addition to a nasty ransomware threat you might soon get some other destructive threats. Avoiding freeware sharing websites and networks is one of the measures that you should bear in mind. You should also avoid downloading suspicious-looking email attachments and clicking on links in emails sent from unrecognized senders. Moreover, it is important to keep the system updated. On top of that, a powerful anti-malware program should be running on your PC, because you cannot know when your OS is being attacked. Malware finds its way to unprotected computers, and if you want to surf the Net safely, your online security should be your first priority.

Below you will find our removal guide that will help you remove the components of the infection. If you should have any questions, our team is ready to help you, just leave your query in the comment section.

How to remove the Losers ransomware

1. Press Win+R and type in regedit.
2. Click OK to open Registry Editor.
3. Follow the path HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. The part HKCU stands for HKEY_CURRENT_USER, which is one of the root directories.
4. Delete the value named system.
5. Close the Registry and access the %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\TEMP\ directory, which varies according to the type of the OS. For Win 7 and later, access C:\ProgramData, find the TEMP directory and delete the malicious file the name of which is made of 9 random characters.