Guidelines to remove irestorel@hotmail.com: A Nasty Computer Ransomware

What is irestorel@hotmail.com?

irestorel@hotmail.com is a nasty computer ransomware designed to exploit important user files by encrypting them. The pernicious malware is able to encrypt all kind of system files using a very powerful APS cryptographic algorithm. The encrypted files feature a strange file extension. The files that it can lock include, audios, videos, images, MS Office files, pdf, xml, html, text and many more making them completely inaccessible to the user. Hence users are deprived from accessing any data.

The sole purpose behind this malicious act is to earn ransom by selling the decryption key to the infected files. The user is notified about the encryption through a ransom note that appears on the system screen stating that a unique decryption key is required to restore files. The users are entitled to pay a ransom to get the decryption key.

However, the users are advised not to rely on any solution provided by the hackers in any case because the victims are often ignored, once the ransom is paid. Instead it is recommended to delete the malicious infection from the machine using data recovery tool.

How does the infection infiltrate?

The malware gets infiltrated by unsafe online conducts such as downloading freebies or visiting malicious sites:

1. Contaminated spam email attachments or malicious links: This troublesome malware infection is usually delivered via macro enabled spam emails which contain malicious executable file.When the users download the attachments, irestorel@hotmail.com virus can be installed immediately. It is therefore advised to scrutinize the email specs thoroughly before opening it.
2. Accidental click on Suspicious third party download sources(peer-to-peer [P2P] networks, freeware download websites, free file hosting sites and similar) may also cause the malware infestation.
3. Software Bundling: The noxious OS infection may infiltrate via freeware program which users install blindly without going through the supporting documents related to the application. The ransomware is bundled to the payload files of these free software, information of which is not disclosed to the users if the user installs these applications using recommended settings. It is therefore always advised to go for Advanced/ Custom settings and select from among the additional software programs the obligatory ones.

How does this ransomware affect the system?

Once proliferated, irestorel@hotmail.com blocks anti-virus and firewall security in the system to carry on its malignant activities.

It ceases the access to all your files and demand ransom money. It changes the file extension which deprives user from accessing the data.

This ransomware also makes unwanted changes into the registry editor of the computer to ensure it gets auto started in the system.

 How to protect your system from this harmful virus?

1. Never open suspicious attachments (especially if you are asked to enable a macro function) inside emails or click on links.
2. Avoid visiting websites of dubious content and do not click on suspicious ads
3. Finally, download and install security software with real-time protection feature.

Maintain regular data backup and store them on a remote server or unplugged storage devices.

Threat Summary

1. Name: irestorel@hotmail.com
2. Browsers Affected: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox
3. Targeted Operating System: Windows
4. Category: Ransomware
5. Symptoms: User’s files are encrypted, a ransom note is displayed to decry-pt the compromised data.

How to remove irestorel@hotmail.com Ransomware from the system?

It is necessary that the user deletes the irestorel@hotmail.com ransomware from their system as it can  corrupt  the files. It is important that you follow the irestorel@hotmail.com ransomware removal steps in  order to remove this threat from the system.

Step A: Reboot your system to safe Mode with Networking

To restart the system to Safe Mode with Networking,  if already switched ON then follow the below steps:

STEP B: Restore the encrypted data via Windows previous version

If the system restore was enabled for both, system and user files, then you can recover your personal data through Windows Previous Version, provided the ransomware has not damaged the backup files. To restore your data follow the instructions given below –

1. Open My Computer and search for the folder you want to restore.
2. As soon as you find it, right click on it and choose the restore previous version option from the new window.
3. This option will display all the previous copies of the folder.
4. Now select restore data and through the options i.e. Open – Copy – Restore. 

Step C: Restore the System Files and Settings through System Restore.

STEP D: Delete the suspicious file from the registry key.

1. Type “Regedit” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. An authorization dialog box will appear, then you just have to click “Yes”. (The dialog box appearance may vary depending on OS used. For Windows 10 the the dialog box looks like the first screenshot and for windows 7 it appears like the second screenshot)
3. In the registry editor, take the backup of the current registry settings before making any changes in case you want to revert to old settings later. For this, Click on File option in the menu and select Export. Save the entry at a known location.
4. From the Menu, Click Edit and Select Find.
5. Enter irestorel@hotmail.com and click OK in the search box.
6. Select and delete suspicious  enteries.

Tips to prevent your computer system from getting infected –

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like  Sophos and Hitman pro so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.

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