‘Doctor@freelinuxmail.org’ Ransomware

The 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware is an encryption Trojan: a Trojan that makes selected files unreadable in the hopes of selling a reversal of the process back to you. Like other encryptors, the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware is more likely to target information that's not essential to your PC, such as documents, text, images, audio files, archives and spreadsheets. Removing the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware and other file encryptors may require using dedicated anti-malware tools, after which you should use a variety of free options for recovering any damaged files.

The Plague Doctor Visiting Your Hard Drive

Modern physicians operate in a highly-respected profession, but previous eras had less respect for healers, who often were carriers of diseases or frauds, themselves. The 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware is perhaps the most modern example yet of a 'cure' that's worse than the illness, as a new Trojan conducting the same types of attacks as old file encryptors such as TeslaCrypt Ransomware or 'Av666@weekendwarrior55' Ransomware. Like most threats of the same category, the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware hasn't shown any features related to distributing or installing itself, and most likely requires intervention by another threat, such as a Trojan downloader or exploit kit, to get access to your PC.

The 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware's payload consists of scanning your PC for files in non-essential formats and encrypting them. The 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware also inserts additional text to the names of each file with the e-mail address of its admin. In keeping with a recent fad among some simpler file encryptors, the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware uses this e-mail insertion instead of providing more elaborate ransom instructions via text documents, pop-ups or desktop wallpapers. Any victims are expected to contact the e-mail address and request a decryption service at any fee specified by the threat's admin.

Victims of these attacks also should remain aware of the difference between the file encryption routine and the file renaming routine. Renaming your files and removing the e-mail address tag will not reverse the encryption process. Because the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware is a newly-discovered threat as of late January, malware experts still are investigating decryption possibilities. No public decryptor has yet been made available.

A Cheap Cure-All for File Encryption Sickness

The 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware's ideal scenario is to convince desperate PC owners into purchasing decryption services from the same person responsible for encrypting their machines initially. Setting aside the naturally suspicious nature of such transactions, the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware and similar file encryptors are wholly incapable of coping with the best data backup strategies, including setting backups to removable devices and protected cloud servers. However, malware experts often find local backup data, and backups set to devices plugged in at the time of the infection, as vulnerable to being encrypted or even deleted outright.

Besides its changes to your local data, the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware also can be identified through minor additions to your Windows start menu, as part of its startup process. Most file encryptors use either randomized or mislabeled files for themselves. The 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware is no exception to this habit, and malware experts would encourage the full use of any available anti-malware products for detecting and uninstalling the 'Doctor@freelinuxmail.org' Ransomware, rather than trying to trace its components yourself.