How to remove Ako Ransomware and decrypt your files

What is Ako Ransomware

Ako Ransomware is one of the fraudulent tools that is aimed to encrypt valuable files on user’s computers and force them into paying a ransom. Ako Ransomware’s activity was detected at the beginning of 2020 and has already been spread around Windows users. When it infiltrates your device, it raptly goes through every single folder offline consecutively restricting access to files like images, videos, PDFs, and others. Hackers use sophisticated methods to negate any interference from file decrypting tools by assigning unique cipher to each file which makes it almost impossible to decrypt them. Besides that, Ako Ransomware creates id.key file and puts it into the folder with encrypted data, that randomly changes the extension to a random set of letters and numbers, so it looks like this: 1.jpg.2mzWmb. After all, it generates the ransom note on your desktop with the necessary information to help you decrypt the files. The file is called ako-readme.txt and below is the message from this file.

It says that you have to pay a certain amount of money (usually it varies from 0.5 to 1 BTC) in Bitcoin currency which equals 4000 – 8000 dollars. You can either send money to their bitcoin address or visit their website in Tor Browser to pay the ransom there. However, do not rush into paying, because this may be a trap! Not only this is an enormous amount of money that most people cannot afford to pay, but there is also no guarantee they will give your files back. They might just spit on their promises and go trick other inexperienced users. Unfortunately, besides encrypting files it also clears up all of the shadow copies and disables Windows recovery features to ensure that you will not be able to retrieve your files. Modern tools cannot always get your files back, but they can easily uninstall and secure further safety from such programs in the future. Read the article to learn how to do this below.

How Ako Ransomware infected your computer

Ransomware could sneak into your computer due to many reasons. First of all, virus developers simply adore using email spam delivery that contains malicious links, fake updates or applications. If you click on these links because of curiosity or unawareness you will then be suffering a presence of Ransomware on your computer that can put your data under severe risk. Hackers also tend to exploit unsecured RDP configuration that is used for remote connection between computers and servers. But this is not the end overall. Frauds have also been proficient in spanning Ransomware across malicious advertisements that can be seen on unwanted and suspicious pages. When a user visits a malvertising website it can redirect to other unwanted resources that can damage the PC. Repacks and other installation kits also make sense. Ransomware can be bundled with other types of cracked software that you downloaded from precarious pages. Thus, the installation may cause a chain of unwanted and hazardous applications like Ransomware or adware that stealthily creeps into your computer to hijack confidential data. This is why you should be very selective and vigilant when surfing or downloading something from the web. Evading doubtful resources that you do not trust is essential for keeping your data and nerves untouched. Read the following instructions on how to remove Ako Ransomware from your computer once and for all! Great tools to protect against Ako Ransomware are: Emsisoft Anti-Malware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

1. Download Ako Ransomware Removal Tool
2. Get decryption tool for your files
3. Recover encrypted files with Stellar Data Recovery Professional
4. Restore encrypted files with Windows Previous Versions
5. Restore files with Shadow Explorer
6. How to protect from threats like Ako Ransomware

Ako Ransomware files:

{randomfilename}.exe
# HELP_TO_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES #.html
network.exe
agent.exe

Ako Ransomware registry keys:

no information

How to decrypt and restore your files

Use automated decryptors

Download Kaspersky RakhniDecryptor

Use following tool from Kaspersky called Rakhni Decryptor, that can decrypt your files. Download it here:

There is no purpose to pay the ransom, because there is no guarantee you will receive the key, but you will put your bank credentials at risk.

Dr.Web Rescue Pack

Famous antivirus vendor Dr. Web provides free decryption service for the owners of its products: Dr.Web Security Space or Dr.Web Enterprise Security Suite. Other users can ask for help in the decryption of your files by uploading samples to Dr. Web Ransomware Decryption Service. Analyzing of files will be performed free of charge and if files are decryptable, all you need to do is purchase 2-year license of Dr.Web Security Space worth $120 or less. Otherwise, you don’t have to pay.

If you are infected with Ako Ransomware and removed it from your computer you can try to decrypt your files. Antivirus vendors and individuals create free decryptors for some crypto-lockers. To attempt to decrypt them manually you can do the following:

Use Stellar Data Recovery Professional to restore your files

1. Download Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
2. Click Recover Data button.
3. Select type of files you want to restore and click Next button.
4. Choose location where you would like to restore files from and click Scan button.
5. Preview found files, choose ones you will restore and click Recover.

Using Windows Previous Versions option:

1. Right-click on infected file and choose Properties.
2. Select Previous Versions tab.
3. Choose particular version of the file and click Copy.
4. To restore the selected file and replace the existing one, click on the Restore button.
5. In case there is no items in the list choose alternative method.

Using Shadow Explorer:

1. Download Shadow Explorer program.
2. Run it and you will see screen listing of all the drives and the dates that shadow copy was created.
3. Select the drive and date that you want to restore from.
4. Right-click on a folder name and select Export.
5. In case there are no other dates in the list, choose alternative method.

If you are using Dropbox:

1. Login to the DropBox website and go to the folder that contains encrypted files.
2. Right-click on the encrypted file and select Previous Versions.
3. Select the version of the file you wish to restore and click on the Restore button.

How to protect computer from viruses, like Ako Ransomware, in future

1. Get special anti-ransomware software

Use ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware

ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware Dashboard

ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware Alert

ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware Blocked

Famous antivirus brand ZoneAlarm by Check Point released a comprehensive tool, that will help you with active anti-ransomware protection, as an additional shield to your current protection. The tool provides Zero-Day protection against ransomware and allows you to recover files. ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware is compatible with all other antiviruses, firewalls, and security software except ZoneAlarm Extreme (already shipped with ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware) or Check Point Endpoint products. The killer features of this application are: automatic file recovery, overwrite protection that instantly and automatically recovers any encrypted files, file protection that detects and blocks even unknown encryptors.

2. Back up your files

As an additional way to save your files, we recommend online backup. Local storages, such as hard drives, SSDs, flash drives or remote network storages can be instantly infected by the virus once plugged in or connected to. Ako Ransomware uses some techniques to exploit this. One of the best services and programs for easy automatic online backup is iDrive. It has the most profitable terms and simple interface. You can read more about iDrive cloud backup and storage here.

3. Do not open spam e-mails and protect your mailbox

Malicious attachments to spam or phishing e-mails is most popular method of ransomware distribution. Using spam filters and creating anti-spam rules is good practice. One of the world leaders in anti-spam protection is MailWasher Pro. It works with various desktop applications, and provides very high level of anti-spam protection.