Arena Ransomware Removal Guide

Do you know what Arena Ransomware is?

Arena Ransomware is the newest variation of the Crysis Ransomware detected by malware researchers some time ago. It is not as active as the original threat yet, but it is only a question of time when cyber criminals start distributing it actively, so be careful. If it is already too late for prevention, hurry to delete this ransomware infection from your system. The sooner you eliminate it, the better because you might accidentally launch it again and get your files encrypted one more time. Yes, Arena Ransomware is one of those ransomware infections that encrypt users’ personal files soon after the successful entrance. It is no longer a secret why ransomware infections act the way they do. Cyber criminals program them to lock users’ pictures, documents, text files, and other important files seeking to obtain money from them easier, so do not be surprised that Arena Ransomware will also display a message demanding money in exchange for the decryption tool. We know that you want your files back, but we still do not recommend purchasing the decryptor from ransomware developers because it might be useless. To be honest, there are no guarantees that it will be sent to you either, so keep the money to yourself.

Arena Ransomware does not differ much from Crysis Ransomware. It also encrypts files and opens a window with a ransom note. These files it locks get a new filename extension .id-********.[chivas@aolonline.top].arena (* - a unique ID) appended at the end, which explains why it has been named Arena Ransomware. As for the message it opens on Desktop, its first sentence tells users that their files have been encrypted “due to a security problem with your PC.” They are also told that they can fix this problem and get files back only by writing an email with the unique ID provided in the message to chivas@aolonline.top. Although the exact amount of money users have to pay to be able to unlock their files is not indicated, it is still clear that money is the only thing cyber criminals want from users: “You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us.” To convince users that cyber criminals are the only ones who can unlock their files, they are ready to decrypt up to 5 files (the total size must be less than 10 MB) for free. You can send these files to get them decrypted for free if you want to, but you should not transfer your money to cyber criminals to unlock the rest of the encrypted data because you might get nothing from them. Unfortunately, your money will not be sent to you back either. Therefore, we recommend deleting Arena Ransomware and trying out alternative data recovery methods instead.Arena Ransomware Removal GuideArena Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions

Ransomware infections are all spread very similarly, so even though not much is known about the distribution of Arena Ransomware, our team of experienced malware researchers has no doubt that this infection is also mainly distributed via spam email campaigns. It appears in them as an email attachment and looks completely harmless, so it is not surprising that so many users open them and infect their computers with malware. The first sign showing that the entrance of Arena Ransomware was successful is a bunch of encrypted files with new filename extensions. Second, you should be able to find a new file Info.hta in %APPDATA% and %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Additionally, you could find a malicious executable file in %APPDATA% and %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. It might have any name, so it might not be very easy to say which of the files stored in these directories belong to Arena Ransomware.

If you decide not to send your money to cyber criminals, you must still delete the ransomware infection from your computer so that it could not cause more problems and encrypt new files you create. Since the removal of malware is not a piece of cake, we recommend following our step-by-step instructions. You can erase this infection quicker too – perform a system scan with a reliable antimalware scanner.

Remove Arena Ransomware

  1. Tap Ctrl+Shift+Esc and open Processes.
  2. Kill the main process of Arena Ransomware and close Task Manager.
  3. Open Windows Explorer (tap Win+E).
  4. Type %APPDATA% and %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startupin the URL bar one at a time and press Enter to open the directory.
  5. Delete the malicious .exe file representing Arena Ransomware.
  6. Delete Info.hta from %APPDATA% and %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
  7. Remove all recently downloaded suspicious files from your system (you should find them in %USERPROFILE%\Downloads).
  8. Empty Recycle bin.

In non-techie terms:

Arena Ransomware is not just an ordinary undesirable application. Instead, it is serious malware trying to extract money from users. It has shown up on your computer seeking to get money from you too, but you should not send its developers a cent even if you have discovered your important files encrypted because you might not get the decryption tool to unlock them. What specialists recommend for those users who have become victims of Arena Ransomware and discovered their files locked is going to restore their files from a backup after the full removal of ransomware.