Crypto. Defense and HowDecrypt Ransomware Information Guide and FAQTable of Contents. How to get help with Crypto. Defense. What is Crypto. Defense or the HOWDECRYPT. Ransomware. How to decrypt files encrypted by Crypto. Defense. How to restore files encrypted by Crypto. Defense using the Emsisoft Decryptor. How to restore files encrypted by Crypto. Defense using Shadow Volume Copies. Information about the Malware Developers Crypto. Defense Decrypt Service Site. Known Bitcoin Payment addresses for Crypto. Defense. How to prevent your computer from becoming infected by Crypto. Defense. How to allow specific applications to run when using Software Restriction Policies. If your computer has been infected with Crypto. Defense there may be a chance to restore your files. Fabian Wosar of Emsisoft discovered a method that allows you to decrypt your files if you were infected before April 1st 2. Unfortunately, this only works for 5. For instructions on how to do this, please read this section How to decrypt files encrypted by Crypto. Defense. If you need assistance with the above instructions, please ask in the Crypto. Defense Support Topic. How to get help with Crypto. Defense. If you are infected the with Crypto. Defense, or HOWDECRYPT. At this time, there is method to decrypt your files that works 5. For instructions on how to decrypt your files, please see this section. I would like to thank Fabian Wosar, Decrypter. Fixer and Steven Wooton for there assistance with gathering information on this infection. There is an active Crypto. Defense support topic, which contains discussion and the experiences of a variety of IT consultants, end users, and companies who have been affected by Crypto. Defense. This topic also contains information on how to attempt restoring files that were encrypted by Crypto. Defense. If you are interested in this infection or wish to ask questions about it, please visit this Crypto. Defense support topic. Once at the topic, and if you are a member, you can subscribe to it in order to get notifications when someone adds more information to the topic. What is Crypto. Defense or the HowDecrypt Ransomware. Crypto. Defense is a ransomware program that was released around the end of February 2. Windows including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. When a computer is infected, the infection will perform the following actions Connects to the Command and Control server and uploads your private key. Deletes all Shadow Volume Copies so that you cannot restore your files form the Shadow Volumes. This means you will only be able to restore your files by restoring from backup or paying the ransom. In some cases the infection does not properly clear the shadow copies, so you may want to use the instructions below to see if you can restore from them. Scan your computer and encrypt data files such as text files, image files, video files, and office documents. Create a screenshot of your active Windows screen and upload it their Command Control server. This screen shot will be inserted in your payment page on their Decrypt Service site, which is explained further in this FAQ. Creates a HowDecrypt. HowDecrypt. html file in every folder that a file was encrypted. The HTML and TXT files will contain instructions on how to access a payment site that can be used to send in the ransom. Creates a HKCUSoftwarelt unique ID registry key and stores various configuration information in it. It will also list all the encrypted files under the HKCUSoftwarelt unique ID PROTECTED key. This payment site is located on the Tor network and you can only make the payment in Bitcoins. Though this infection has numerous similarities to Crypto. Locker or Cryptor. Bit, there is no evidence that they are related. In order to purchase the decryptor for your files you need to pay a 5. USD ransom in Bitcoins. If you do not pay the ransom within 4 days it will double to 1,0. USD. They also state that if you do not purchase a decryptor within one month, they will delete your private key and you will no longer be able to decrypt your files. The files are encrypted using RSA 2. At the beginning of each encrypted file will be two strings of text. The first string is An example identifier is 1. F2. 5DA0. 0CD4. CBC3. D1b. 8B9. F5. 5F0. All encrypted files on the same computer will contain the same unique identifier. This identifier is probably used by the Decrypt Service web site to identify the private key that can be used to decrypt the file when performing a test decryption. You can see these strings of text in a hex editor as shown below Based on research performed by Decrypter. Fixer, it appears that this infection is installed through programs that pretend to be flash updates or video players required to view an online video. When these downloads are run, numerous adware will be installed along with Crypto. Defense. From screenshots of other infected computers, it is also not uncommon for infected computers to also have Crypto. Locker or Cryptor. Bit installed on them as well. How to decrypt files encrypted by Crypto. Defense. If you were infected by Crypto. Defense on April 1st 2. This is because the malware developer had a flaw in the Crypto. Defense program that left behind the public decryption key. Fabian Wosar of Emsisoft discovered this flaw and had created a decrypter that could potentially retrieve the key and decrypt your files. Fabian, and others, were then helping victims privately on how to use this tool so that the malware developer would not know how to fix the flaw in their program. Unfortunately, Symantec decided to blog about this flaw, instead of keeping it quiet, which led the malware developer to update Crypto. Defense so it no longer leaves behind the key. In my opinion, this was irresponsible as Symantec chose publicity over helping the victims. Run Microsoft Office Over Network For Good here. With this said, if you were infected with Crypto. Defense before April 1st 2. How to restore files encrypted by Crypto. Defense using the Emsisoft Decryptor. If the Emsisofts tool is unable to retrieve your decryption key, then your only other method is to try and restore your from a shadow copy. As Crypto. Defense attempts to clear your shadow copies when it is installed this may not work either. Please note that Shadow Volume Copies are only available with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8. How to restore files encrypted by Crypto. Defense using Shadow Volume Copies. Unfortunately, if none of the above methods work, your only alternative will be to restore from an available backup. How to restore files encrypted by Crypto. Defense using the Emsisoft Decryptor. If you were infected before April 1st, 2. To begin please download decryptcryptodefense. URL and save it to your desktop. Once the file has been downloaded, right click on the file and select Extract All. An extraction wizard will open that will guide you through the encryption process. If you left all of the check marks checked during the extraction wizard, the extracted folder will automatically open. Inside the folder you will see two files. One file is a tool called Crypto. Offence Crypto. Offense. You only need to use this file if you wish to decrypt encrypted files using a different computer. For more information on how to use this tool, please see the How to export your key and decrypt from another computer section below. The directory also contains a tool called decryptcryptodefense. This program is a Crypto. Blocked This Site From Downloading Files From Irc© 2017