Do you know what ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware is?
ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware is a malicious infection that can slither into your operating system if you do not take care of its security. Unguarded systems, systems with weak security tools, and systems with missing security updates are the first ones to be attacked by this ransomware, and if it succeeds, it can successfully encrypt all found personal files. When they are encrypted, the “.ZoNiSoNaL” extension is added to the names, and that is what should help you assess the damage quickly. You are likely to find personal photos, documents, videos, and other kinds of files unreadable. They become unreadable because an encryption key is used to scramble the data, after which, only a decryption key can unscramble it. That means that your files are bound to remain encrypted even if you remove ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware immediately.
According to our researchers, ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware might attack Windows operating systems in a variety of ways. The threat could be distributed by malware-dropping trojans, hidden in spam emails or bundled downloaders, and even spread using exploited vulnerabilities. If no security defenses exist, the malware simply slithers in and encrypt files. This is done silently. After files are corrupted, a text file called “HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt” is dropped to every affected location. This is how ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware reveals itself to the victims. A ransom note – in one form or another – is usually the element that alerts victims about the existing ransomware. Other threats that use this method include C4H Ransomware, Lezp Ransomware, Jest Ransomware, and so on. Sadly, there are thousands of unique file-encrypting threats out there, and even if you delete the one that has corrupted your files successfully now, a new one could attack soon enough if you do not take appropriate security measures.
ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
The ransom note introduced by ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware informs that the attackers can offer a “decrypt key” for a payment of 0.14 Bitcoin. At the time of research, that was over $1,200. The message instructs to send this sum to 1L2fbTgoSWKDhNp3cmXYFygd1fX2cF8YqJ – and this wallet had 0.3 Bitcoins total received from four different transactions at the time of research – and then contact the attackers by sending an email to zonis@gmx.com. If you do this, you expose yourself to cybercriminals and waste money. The attackers are unlikely to send you a decryptor in return, and you certainly cannot get your money back. On top of that, once they know the email address, they can send intimidating messages with threats included in them. Do not pay attention to those, but beware of scam messages that could be sent as well. We do not recommend paying the ransom or contacting the attackers, but we also cannot offer you a solution. If you are going to try using third-party decryptors, make sure they are legitimate first.
According to our researchers, to delete ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware, you need to delete the launcher file. We cannot know where it is, but if you can identify this file, get rid of it immediately. Also, eliminate every copy of the ransom note file. Once you think you are done, install a legitimate malware scanner to help you examine your system. Scanning the system does not cost money, and it is only a minor inconvenience, which is why you should not skip this step. Obviously, if you have trouble removing ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware manually, and if you know that your system lacks reliable protection, it is best to implement automated anti-malware software that could, simultaneously, clean and protect your system.
Remove ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware
- Delete all recently downloaded suspicious files to, hopefully, get rid of the launcher.
- Delete every single copy of the ransom note file, HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt.
- Empty Recycle Bin and then quickly perform a full system scan to check for leftovers.
In non-techie terms:
If your Windows operating system is not protected – and a single security crack could be enough – a malicious file-encrypting threat could invade it. ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware is one example of a threat like that, and if it manages to invade your system silently, it can encrypt all personal files and then demand money from you. Unfortunately, even if you pay the ransom and communicate with the attackers as instructed, you are unlikely to get what you need to decrypt files. Unfortunately, at the time of research, it was not possible to restore files using third-party tools either. Hopefully, you have backups of all encrypted files and these backups are stored outside the infected system. If that is the case, delete ZoNiSoNaL Ransomware and then use backups as replacements. To remove the infection, either get rid of its components manually or employ an automated anti-malware tool.