Mzlq Ransomware

It goes without saying that no one would ever like to get infected with the likes of Mzlq Ransomware. It is a malicious ransomware infection, and it will encrypt all the personal files that it locates on the target system. When this program encrypts target files, it displays a ransom note that says you have to pay in order to get your files back. Needless to say, you should never give your money away to these criminals. Instead, focus on removing Mzlq Ransomware from your computer, and then invest in a licensed security application that can protect you from various threats.

The good news is that some of the files encrypted by Mzlq Ransomware can be decrypted. This program comes from the STOP Ransomware family, and so it is directly related to such infections as Toec Ransomware, Mpaj Ransomware, Jope Ransomware, and others. All these programs are based on one code that gets slightly tweaked each time a new program is released. Now, the decryption tool that is available for the STOP Ransomware works when the malicious program uses an offline encryption key to lock up your files. Thus, if Mzlq Ransomware uses an online encryption key, it might not be possible to restore your files with the public decryption key. Nevertheless, you should still try it out because you can never know.

When we’re dealing with ransomware, it is important to learn how they spread around. Mzlq Ransomware and other similar infections are most likely travelling via spam email attachments. It means that you can easily avoid something like Mzlq Ransomware if you delete spam email, no questions asked. Unfortunately, a lot of spam campaigns that distribute malware may look quite sophisticated these days, and they might even land in your main inbox. So, if you often receive shopping invoices or various important documents, you might think that the spam email simply delivers another document you need to check.

Computer security experts say that if you do not recognize the sender and if the content of the message is really urgent, it is probably a spam message. That is totally applicable if an urgent message from an unknown sender comes with an attachment. Just delete the message no questions asked. Or, if you think that the file MIGHT be important, you can use a licensed security scanner to scan it before opening it. This way, you will definitely prevent Mzlq Ransomware from entering your system.

On the other hand, if you fail to prevent Mzlq Ransomware from entering your system, the infection will behave just like all the other programs in this group. It will detect all the file types it can encrypt, and it will run an encryption algorithm that will scramble the data sequence within your files, and your system will no longer be able to read them. You will see that something is wrong because all the file icons will change into blank pages. That just means that the system cannot recognize your files anymore!

Aside from locking up your files, Mzlq Ransomware will also drop a ransom note that should tell you what to do, and how to restore your files. Here’s an extract from the said ransom note:

ATTENTION!

Don’t worry, you can return all your files!
All your files like photos, databases, documents and other important are encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key.
The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you.
<…>
Price of private key and decrypt software is $980.
Discount 50% available if you contact us first 72 hours, that’s price for you is $490.

Don’t think that you could pay less just because you contact these criminals immediately. In fact, it is very likely that they will just collect your money and scram. Keep your money to yourself and remove Mzlq Ransomware today.

If you have a file backup, you can also delete all the encrypted files, and then transfer healthy copies back into your clean computer. On the other hand, if you do not have copies of your files saved someplace else, you might want to address a local professional who would tell you more about the possible file recovery options.

How to Remove Mzlq Ransomware

1. Press Win+R and type regedit. Click OK.
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
3. On the right side, right-click and delete the SysHelper value.
4. Exit Registry Editor and use Win+R to access these directories:
   %WinDir%
   %System32\Tasks\
5. Delete the Time Trigger Task from both directories.
6. Press Win+R and type %LocalAppData%. Click OK.
7. Delete folders with long random names and the script.ps1 file.
8. Delete the _readme.txt ransom note.
9. Run a full system scan with the SpyHunter free scanner.