Do you know what Consciousness Ransomware is?
Consciousness Ransomware might still be in development as our discovered sample did not encrypt any files. How do we know that the malware should do so? It drops a ransom note in which it is said that the threat encrypted files and that they can be restored if a victim pays a ransom. If you want to know more about what we have found out about the malicious application, we encourage you to read our full article. We have prepared a removal guide that shows how users could erase Consciousness Ransomware manually, although we cannot guarantee that it will work. You can find it at the end of the main text. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to use our comments section.
Since Consciousness Ransomware might still be in development, we do not know if it is being spread yet. If it was distributed, hackers behind the malware could use unreliable file-sharing websites or send their victims emails or other types of messages with malicious attachments or links. Therefore, users who want to avoid ransomware should stay away from unreliable file-sharing websites and not rush into interaction with files or links received from unknown senders or displayed by questionable websites. Additionally, we recommend having a reputable antimalware tool that could guard the system and help you identify malicious data.
Consciousness Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Usually, threats like Consciousness Ransomware either settle in on an infected device by creating files that they need or start encrypting targeted files right away. In most cases, such threats encrypt only personal files. That is because, unlike program data, photos and documents might be impossible to replace if one does not back up such data. As said earlier, the sample we encountered did not encrypt any files. Yet, the malware did drop a ransom note claiming that it did encrypt files successfully. Such behavior suggests that the threat might still be in the development or testing stages, which is why the encryption functionality might not be working, or it has not been added yet. Thus, it is possible that Consciousness Ransomware might be updated and could work differently in the future.
Another thing we want to discuss is its ransom note. The sample we tested dropped a note saying that users have to pay ransom to restore their encrypted files. It is said that afterward, they should contact hackers via email, and their files will get decrypted. There is no explanation of how that will happen. Moreover, the note might even say that there are Trojans on the system. The sample we tested did not drop any files, so it does not look like the threat could place other malware on a device. We advise not to trust hackers when it comes to decrypting your files as the note does not explain how it would be done. Not to mention, cybercriminals cannot be trusted, and there are no guarantees that you will not be tricked.
If you encounter this threat, we advise you not to keep it on your system as it could be risky to do so. The removal guide below shows how you could erase Consciousness Ransomware manually, but keep in mind that the instructions might not work as the threat might still be in development. The safest option would be to get a reliable antimalware tool that could delete Consciousness Ransomware and other detections that could be on your system for you.
Erase Consciousness Ransomware
- Restart your computer in Safe Mode with Networking.
- Click Windows Key+E.
- Navigate to the suggested paths:
%TEMP%
%USERPROFILE%Desktop
%USERPROFILE%Downloads - Find a file opened when the device got infected, right-click the malicious file, and select Delete.
- Exit File Explorer.
- Empty Recycle bin.
- Restart the computer.
In non-techie terms:
Consciousness Ransomware is a malicious application that is supposed to encrypt files to take them as hostages. However, our researchers say that their encountered sample was unable to encrypt any data. Yet it displayed a message claiming that files were encrypted successfully and that the only way to restore them is to pay a ransom. Our researchers say that the malware’s developers might be trying to trick users. As you see, the ransom note does not promise to send users decryption tools that are often offered by hackers behind threats that do not show a window with a decryption button. In this case, the note’s creator claims he will restore files as soon as a victim pays the ransom and contacts his boss via email. Truth be told, it does not matter if hackers explain how they will decrypt your files or not, as there are no guarantees that they will hold on to their end of the bargain. Therefore, we advise you not to pay if you do not want to risk losing your money. To learn how you could erase Consciousness Ransomware manually, you could use the removal guide placed above. However, it might be easier to employ a reputable antimalware tool for this task.