Encryptile Ransomware

The Encryptile Ransomware is a Trojan that blocks your files by encrypting them, afterward loading guidelines asking for Bitcoins in exchange for a full data restoration. In keeping with most threats of this classification, you can restrict the Encryptile Ransomware's damages by the act of keeping backups externally. Many anti-malware products also may remove the Encryptile Ransomware and prevent it from encrypting any content initially.

From Sensibly-Organized Information to Scrambled Tiles

Forcing a victim to pay a con artist willingly for a service that they may not render is a challenging proposition for even the most professional threat campaigns. Malware experts often see many of the 'better' Trojans using advanced social engineering strategies, accompanied by in-depth Uis, for forcing the hand of their victims. Many con artists, such as those currently deploying the Encryptile Ransomware, take every step possible to make transferring money the 'easiest' solution, even when it's not necessarily a safe one.

After it launches, the Encryptile Ransomware scans for data with potentially extortion-worthy contents, such as DOCX, JPG and PDF. Besides employing an AES-based encryption method for blocking these files, the Encryptile Ransomware also inserts the string 'Encryptile' into each name. Malware experts found current versions of the Encryptile Ransomware not using appropriate formatting to make the text into an appropriate, independent extension; instead, the Encryptile Ransomware adds the string onto any preexisting extension, creating such mergers as '.jpgEncryptile' in each name.

However, its encryption feature is less worthy of mentioning than its ransom demands, which the Encryptile Ransomware deploys through a Notepad text file, a desktop hijacking-inserted wallpaper, and an HTA (advanced HTML) pop-up window that it prevents the user from terminating. The latter is where the bulk of the Encryptile Ransomware's innovations lie. This window includes potential support for features such as video playback demonstrating the payload, a working countdown timer until it deletes the decryption key, a complete list of all encrypted content, multi-language support, and a tutorial on how to pay the Bitcoin ransom. At under fifty USD, its ransom also is unusually small, possibly to tempt victims even further into paying quickly.

The Faulty Logic Behind Trusting Trojans

Compared to some similar Trojans, which may provide nothing more than an e-mail address inserted into an encrypted file, the Encryptile Ransomware puts a vast amount of effort into persuading and informing its victims. However, even an immediate payment confers no legal or technical protection against con artists accepting the money and refusing to provide the promised decryption assistance. The Encryptile Ransomware, like most file encryptor Trojans, doesn't appear to be targeting peripherals or network storage, which makes such protection far more viable for recovering your data than paying the ransom.

Although the Encryptile Ransomware's current wallet address has connections to other file encrypting Trojan campaigns, malware analysts have yet to confirm any source code links between it and other Trojans. However, most anti-malware utilities should detect the Encryptile Ransomware heuristically while scanning your computer. Trojans within the Encryptile Ransomware's threat category tend to most often install themselves through e-mail-based exploits, such as a document macro script.

While threat authors continue to race to make bolstering their profit margins seem like the 'quick and easy' solution to these attacks, all the usual anti-malware security standards are keeping pace.

Technical Details