Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware

The Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware is an update to the Scarab Ransomware family, and, like other members, includes features associated with blocking files until it can force the victims into paying ransoms. Since the free decryption solution for this family isn't always compatible with the latest releases, users should have backups for preserving any media from this Trojan's attacks. Most anti-malware programs are also capable of identifying and removing the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware and should do so before any file-locking behavior occurs.

The Next Insect Swarming for Your Files

The efficiency of the family of the Scarab Ransomware is more than evident through its continuing use by various teams of threat actors, including ones who may be responsible for, or have access to some of the resources of the RSAUtil Ransomware campaign. The next entry into the Scarab Ransomware's family, the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware, is using extortion messages nearly identical to those in RSAUtil Ransomware's payload, although there are updates to the associated addresses. This mostly-cosmetic change in its ransoming instructions could help conceal the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware's identity, which, in reality, is the latest update to the the Scarab-Bin Ransomware branch.

Since malware researchers are noting no changes to how the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware encrypts the user's files, compared to the Scarab-Bin Ransomware's similar attacks, the ransoming note swap is, likely, due to nothing more than the familiarity and accessibility that its admins have with the RSAUtil Ransomware campaign. These threat actors are using the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware for locking files that can include Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, WinZip archives, JPG, GIF, BMP pictures and other media. The locking routine uses an encryption cipher that malware experts have yet to confirm as being broken by the latest Scarab Ransomware decryption freeware.

The ransom note that the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware creates after locking any media gives the victim an ID and several e-mail addresses for entering into the ransom negotiations. Since paying such ransoms has less than one hundred percent success rates for recovering any data, withholding the money is recommended, especially for currencies like Bitcoin that have restrictive or nonexistent refund policies.

Getting What's Yours Returned without Being Poorer for It

Besides changes to the extension it uses (from the potentially confusing '.bin' to the relatively universal '.locked') and its ransom note exchange, the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware has no substantial alterations from its closest ancestor, Scarab-Bin Ransomware. The existence of backups not saved locally is critical for recovering any files that this, and other file-locker Trojans might encrypt, and malware experts recommend using cloud servers or removable devices especially. Deleting local backup data is a typical feature for both the Scarab Ransomware family and most threats exhibiting similar capabilities.

The most high-activity strategies that are likeliest for circulating and installing the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware include:

• Brute-force attacks may compromise PCs by cracking their login credentials. Secure password strategizing is the first defense against most brute-force hacking applications.
• Victims also may install threats like the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware unintentionally after opening corrupted files, such as e-mail attachments. Specially-crafted documents may look like harmless media while including macro or script-based exploits for infecting the computer. Most threat-detecting programs can block these attacks automatically whenever they scan the relevant file.

Unlike the RSAUtil Ransomware, whose message it borrows, the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware doesn't pretend to be a Windows component. However, uninstalling the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware, still, should use appropriate and trusted anti-malware programs since the threat does modify various Windows settings and files automatically.

The crossover potential with threats like the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware and similar, file-locking Trojans helps criminals create and circulate new campaigns for locking files for money quickly. Although the development time for the Scarab-FilesReturn247 Ransomware isn't likely of totaling at more than a few minutes, its attacks may damage the files of any unprepared PC users forever.