Do you know what Cheetah Ransomware is?
Cheetah Ransomware is clearly a computer infection that tries to push users into paying ransom fees for a data decryption tool. Luckily, it is possible to decrypt the files that were affected by this program and you clearly do not need to do anything it says.
It might be a little bit intimidating to see this program’s interface on your screen, but the most important thing is to not panic. Panic doesn’t lead anywhere good. Instead, you need to take this matter into your hands and remove Cheetah Ransomware for good.
As far as the origins of this program are concerned, we know for sure that Cheetah Ransomware is a new version of the BigBobRoss Ransomware infection. So it is very likely that it follows the same distribution and infection pattern as the previously released program. Our research team says that Cheetah Ransomware most probably spreads through unsafe Remote Desktop Protocol connections, so it seems that the criminals behind this program have certain targets in mind, and they try to infect them manually.
At the same time, it also implies that Cheetah Ransomware mainly tries to affect corporate systems rather than individual users. After all, businesses would be more likely to pay the ransom fee. What’s more, small business are less likely to have a system backup, and so they might panic and spend money on the decryption tool that this program offers without even trying to find out more about the infection.
Therefore, it is very important that you do not open random files that you receive over the Remote desktop connection. Sometimes these files might even reach you through familiar accounts, but don’t forget that your friends’ accounts could be hacked, and it is always necessary to check or scan the received file before opening. If you scan all the files you receive, you would definitely decrease the possibility of getting infected with Cheetah Ransomware.
Cheetah Ransomware screenshot
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Now, if the malicious file reaches the target system and the user opens it, Cheetah Ransomware launches the encryption, and all the affected files receive a new prefix to their names with the infection’s ID. We can assume that the ID is unique on every infected system, thus allowing the criminals behind this ransomware to identify the infected users if they contact them about the ransom fee.
Aside from encrypting the files, Cheetah Ransomware also drops the ransom note in every single directory that has encrypted files. There are two files that tell you about the ransom. The first one is a Notepad file “How to recover your files.txt” and the second one is a URL file that opens a YouTube video. This video informs you about the infection, too. Here’s an extract from the ransom note:
All your files documents, photos, databases and other files are encrypted with strongest encryption!
Don’t worry, you can return all your files!
To receive the decryption tool contact us and tell us your unique ID
If you want your files You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins
The price depends on how fast you write to us.
As mentioned, it is possible to decrypt Cheetah Ransomware, so there is no need to purchase the decryption key from these criminals. In fact, even if there were no public decryption tool, paying the ransom fee would still be out of the question. What’s more, it wouldn’t be surprising if the criminals collected the money and scrammed. Hence, it is never a good idea to do what you are told.
Even though it is possible to decrypt this infection, you should still employ all the measures possible to make sure that you do not get infected with a similar program again. Of course, the most important thing is to check all the files you receive with a security tool before opening them. Also, you should back up all of your data either on external or a cloud drive. You can never know when you might encounter another dangerous infection again, so you have to be ready to counter it.
Finally, if you have questions about Cheetah Ransomware or computer security in general, you can always leave us a comment below. Our team is ready to assist you.
How to Remove Cheetah Ransomware
- Delete suspicious files from Desktop.
- Remove suspicious files from the Downloads folder.
- Scan your computer with SpyHunter.
In non-techie terms:
Cheetah Ransomware is an annoying infection that encrypts your files. It also expects you to pay a ransom fee for the file decryption, but you do not need to do that because it is possible to decrypt the affected files for free. You need to focus on removing Cheetah Ransomware from your computer and then protecting your system from similar infections in the future. Please educate yourself about ransomware distribution methods and make sure your regularly back your files up.