'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware

Posted: December 30, 2016

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Ranking:	13,531
Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	295

First Seen:	December 30, 2016
Last Seen:	October 16, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

'.hta'-formatted ransom notes seem to be gaining popularity among ransomware authors since one of the latest variants of the Dharma Ransomware also uses a ransom message that is delivered in a file named 'info.hta.' This crypto-threat dubbed the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware by malware researchers since this is the contact e-mail that the cyber crooks provide their victims with. Apart from the different ransom note and contact e-mail address, there aren't any major differences between the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware and other variants of the Dharma Ransomware that we've analyzed in the past months.

When the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware infiltrates a computer, it aims to encrypt as many files as possible and to do this the ransomware's authors have programmed their crypto-threats to identify and lock a long list of file extensions. Some of the files most frequently harmed during ransomware attacks are documents, PDF files, spreadsheets, databases, archives, image files, media files, and backups. However, many crypto-threats, including the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware, also may attempt to cause even more damage by encrypting file extensions associated with popular software suites like Photoshop, AutoCad, etc. While the encryption process is running, the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware also attempts to wipe out all Shadow Volume Copies to further reduce the user's chances of getting their files back.

When the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware's encryption routine is finished, the ransomware creates the 'info.hta' file on the user's desktop and executes it to display the concise ransom message it includes automatically. According to the attacker's statement, victims will only be able to recover their files if they follow the payment instructions and send Bitcoins to the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware's operator. The exact amount of the ransom fee is not mentioned, but the attacker assures users that they'll have to pay less if they contact him earlier. Furthermore, the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware offers the opportunity to decrypt up to 3 files for free but under two conditions – the files must be less than 10MB, and they must not include valuable information.

Despite the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware's promise to restore all files once the payment has been completed, the best thing users can do in this scenario is not to pay the ransom! Paying victims not just motivate cyber crooks to continue with their harmful business, but they also end up funding more threatening and sophisticated ransomware. In addition to this, even if you end up paying the ransom fee, there's nothing to stop the author of the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware from collecting the money and abandoning you and your encrypted files. Victims of the 'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware can remove the threat with the assistance of a reputable cyber security software suite, and users who wish to protect their computers from such threats also can do so by installing and activating a good security product.

'mkgoro@india.com' Ransomware

Threat Metric

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