Rastakhiz Ransomware

Not all ransomware programs are perfect when they get into the wild. Applications like Rastakhiz Ransomware might be still in development when security experts detect them. When a program is still in development, it means it cannot do much harm or some of its functions might be incomplete. Nevertheless, we should still take such infections seriously because they can do a lot of damage. You will do yourself a favor if you remove Rastakhiz Ransomware right now, and then go to look for ways to safeguard your system against similar intruders. Your system’s security should be one of your top priorities.

Although Rastakhiz Ransomware is still in development, it might employ several ways to reach your system. The most common way for ransomware programs to reach you is spam email. Spam email campaigns might not be the most efficient distribution method, but it is the cheapest and the most massive method out there. While most of the spam messages get filtered into your Junk folder, some may reach your main inbox, and they could have Rastakhiz Ransomware in their attachments. What can we learn from this? Do not open attachments from unknown senders! Ransomware installers often look like regular Microsoft Word or PDF documents. Sometimes they may also look like Excel files that require to you enable the Macro function, but the moment you do that, you allow these crooks to enter your computer.

Of course, there might be other ways for Rastakhiz Ransomware to enter your system, too. It is not surprising anymore when ransomware programs barge into target systems directly through corrupted Remote Desktop Client. Sometimes such connections might be compromised, and malevolent third parties may try to transfer malicious files into your system with the intention to infect you and steal your data (or money). In other words, there are many ways for Rastakhiz Ransomware and other similar malware to reach you, and you should always remain vigilant.

If we were to take a closer look at the infection itself, we would see that it is your regular ransomware program. From what we have found, Rastakhiz Ransomware makes use of the AES algorithm to encrypt your files. Our research team also says that this program is a Hidden Tear spin-off, so it may mean that we will see a lot of different versions of this infection in the future. After all, Hidden Tear is an open-source ransomware program that is often used as a base for many customized infections.

When the malicious file reaches user’s computer and the program is launched, Rastakhiz Ransomware copies itself to the %HOMEDRIVE% directory. That is rather refreshing, considering that most of the ransomware programs do not drop anything on the target system, and some even delete themselves once the encryption is complete. Rastakhiz Ransomware, on the other hand, works from the location where it copies itself to.

To encrypt target files, Rastakhiz Ransomware scans your computer looking for the locations it is programed to encrypt. According to our data, this infection mostly targets the %USERPROFILE% directory. It is the default directory, where most of the user files are kept. It includes your Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, Favorites, and other folders. However, from what we have found during our research, this program does not target subfolders in the said directory. So there is a chance that Rastakhiz Ransomware will not be able to affect all of your files.

Once the encryption is complete, the affected files get the “.RASTAKHIZ” extension, and it is easy to see which files were affected by the program. Since the program has not been fully developed yet, it does not create a ransom note, and so users do not receive a notification that should “help” restore their files.

In other words, it is clear that you must remove Rastakhiz Ransomware instead of trying to negotiate with these criminals. You can terminate the infection using the removal guidelines below, but as far as your files are concerned, you may need to look for copies saved someplace else. You will be surprised to find just how many files you probably have on your mobile device or somewhere on a virtual drive.

The most important thing is not to panic. Also, if you have more questions about computer security, please feel free to leave us a comment.

How to Remove Rastakhiz Ransomware

1. Press Win+R and the Run prompt will open.
2. Type %HOMEDRIVE% into the Open box and click OK.
3. Delete the rastakhiz folder from the directory.
4. Run a full system scan with SpyHunter.