Do you know what COPAN Ransomware is?
COPAN Ransomware is a tool that was designed by cyber criminals to silently invade Windows operating systems, encrypt files, and force their victims to make payments for a tool that, allegedly, would free the encrypted files. The attackers behind this malware, needless to say, do not care about their victims or their files, and all they want is the money. Therefore, we can tell you right away that there is no point in pleading with the attackers and making them restore your files for free. In fact, our research team recommends that you do not contact the malicious criminals at all, and we discuss further in this report why that is important. Our team is already familiar with this threat because it comes from the Dharma Ransomware family, and so it is similar to Php Ransomware, Dqb Ransomware, and many other threats that our research team has analyzed in the past. All Dharma infections must be deleted, but, in this report, we focus on removing COPAN Ransomware.
Most ransomware infections encrypt files, and they usually have very similar features and components. That being said, you can rest assured that it is COPAN Ransomware that has invaded your operating system if you can find the “.COPAN” extension appended to the files’ names. The files with this extension are encrypted and, therefore, cannot be read by any program. Unfortunately, a legitimate file decryptor that could free your files did not exist at the time of research. That means that files are encrypted permanently. The attackers controlling COPAN Ransomware, of course, want you to think that they can solve this issue for you. Using a file named “HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt,” they inform that you can recover files using a “unique key” that you, allegedly, can get by emailing acva@foxmail.com. The threat also launches a window entitled “acva@foxmail.com” to inform you that you would have to pay a ransom in return for this key.
Although the attackers are trying to convince you to send them a message at acva@foxmail.com, in reality, their biggest goal is convince you to pay a ransom. Most victims of COPAN Ransomware might see no harm in sending a short message, but putting yourself in the hands of cyber criminals is a huge risk. The moment they learn your email address, they can keep terrorizing you, and we are sure that that is not what you want. For all we know, they could disguise a different infection as a decryptor too. Speaking of the decryptor, you are unlikely to obtain it after paying the ransom. Since the sum of the ransom appears to be customizable, we do not know whether it would be large or small. In any case, we would not recommend paying it. Focus on restoring your files from backup (if it exists), and, of course, deleting COPAN Ransomware. We hope, however, that you will not have to worry about removal at all.
Our research team informs that COPAN Ransomware should delete itself after execution and after the files are successfully encrypted. Unless you catch the infection before it starts encryption, it is possible that you will not need to do anything. Of course, we also have to consider the possibility that an error would occur. Due to this, you must scan your operating system and check for leftovers. Obviously, if the scanner informs that you must remove COPAN Ransomware leftovers, you should not postpone the task for any longer. A reliable anti-malware program can do that most efficiently.
Remove COPAN Ransomware
- Delete the ransom note file named HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt.
- Install a legitimate and reliable malware scanner that you can trust.
- Perform a full system scan, and if threats are found, delete them immediately.
In non-techie terms:
COPAN Ransomware creates a mess and then disappears. While it is more convenient to deal with an infection that removes itself, there is nothing convenient about this malware. Once it encrypts files, you are unlikely to recover them, and that is why it is important to have backups. Whether you use an external drive or cloud storage, you will escape the mess without huge losses only if backup copies of your personal files exist. Although we have seen COPAN Ransomware deleting itself, it is important to scan the system for the leftovers of this malware, as well as other threats. You also need reliable protection against ransomware and other infections in the future, and so we strongly encourage you to install legitimate anti-malware software.