Asasin Ransomware

The Asasin Ransomware is a member of the '.locky File Extension' Ransomware family, a group of Trojans that block their victims' files by using non-consensual encryption. An Asasin Ransomware infection renames all locked media and provides a custom extension, as well as generating ransom-themed messages for the victim. Users can keep backups for protecting their files from this Trojan's attacks, along with having their anti-malware applications uninstalling the Asasin Ransomware as soon as possible.

Murdering Data with a Side of Typos

The '.locky File Extension' Ransomware is still at the forefront of modern, encryption-based cyber attacks, but its threat actors are unconcerned with the superficial elements of aesthetics seemingly, such as spellchecking. The latest update to this active family is the Asasin Ransomware, whose only change is switching its cosmetic brand to a misspelled word. Like any functional member of this group of Trojans, the Asasin Ransomware locks files with encryption and tries to force the victim to pay through its website for recovering them.

Trojans of the Asasin Ransomware's lineage most often compromise PCs with fake email messages, especially imitation invoices, and other, business, news, or finance-themed attachments. When it opens, the Asasin Ransomware modifies the Registry for enabling its automatic launch and may suppress boot-up errors or disable some Windows features, such as the Task Manager. However, malware analysts are emphasizing the two attacks below as being the Asasin Ransomware's primary payload:

• The Asasin Ransomware attacks typical formats of media, including spreadsheets, documents, or pictures, with an encryption function that encodes these files and renders them incapable of opening. Unlike most file-locking threats, the Asasin Ransomware also replaces the original names with its personalized ID entirely along with adding the '.asasin' extension.
• The Trojan also creates ransom notes that the Asasin Ransomware can display via hijacked desktop wallpapers, text and Web pop-ups. Victims are asked to visit the threat actor's custom TOR site for paying a ransom to decode and unlock their files.

Precautions for Protecting Your Files from Enciphered Murder

The family from which the Asasin Ransomware acquires its encryption code from doesn't include any publicized vulnerabilities that could help third parties decrypt the locked files. Malware experts estimate that the appearance of a freeware decryptor for any update of the '.locky File Extension' Ransomware is unlikely, and most victims without backups will have no free data-recovering options. Saving backups to peripheral devices or cloud storage regularly can eliminate any permanent damage that would occur during the Asasin Ransomware infections.

Since the Asasin Ransomware, like most threats with file-locking features can cause permanent data loss, users should abide by security standards that could prevent its installation ever from happening, if possible. Most commonly, Trojan droppers for this family circulate with the help of spam emails. Some threat actors also choose to compromise the targets manually, with brute-force hacking tools. Modernize your password management habits for reducing your vulnerability to targeted attacks, and have anti-malware products active and updated for removing the Asasin Ransomware before it blocks any media.

Since the '.locky File Extension' Ransomware family is, seemingly, seeing no reduced success from its payload, its threat actors have no reason to make massive changes to small releases like the Asasin Ransomware. Users who aren't putting the work into their personal, digital security also reduces the workloads of the people who take advantage of them.