How to Remove Nostro Ransomware (+.Nostro File Recovery)

How to Remove Nostro Ransomware?

Readers recently started to report the following message being displayed when they boot their computer:

CONGRATULATIONS!
All your files have been encrypted!
Now you should send us email with your personal identifier.
This email will be as confirmation you are ready to pay for decryption key.
You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us.
After payment we will send you the decryption tool that will decrypt all your files.
Contact us using this email address
nostro19@protonmail.com
And tell us your unique ID

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Nostro is the name of a malicious ransomware. These are nasty cyber threats that force you into trouble. If you find yourself face to face with a ransomware, be wary. Understand that, this is fight that’s rigged against you. You’re set up to lose, either way. Let’s explain. These infections use trickery to invade your PC. Then, once inside, corrupt it. Nostro is no exception. It snuck in via deception and finesse, and put your files under lock-down. It used an encryption algorithm to take control over them. And, it demands you make a ransom payment for their release. If you do, you won’t enjoy the outcome. That’s because, getting your files back is a near-impossible feat. If you pay the ransom, you’re at the cyber kidnappers’ mercy. You hope they send you the decryption key, you need, but what if they don’t? Or, what if they send the wrong one? And, don’t rejoice if you receive the right one, either. Even if you apply it, it works, and you free your files, you’re not in the clear yet. The infection still remains on your computer. You got rid of a mere symptom of said infection. The ransom payment helps to remove the encryption. But the encryptor itself still lurks in the shadows of your system. And, it’s free to strike again. It can lock your data a mere moment after you apply the decryption key, you bought. Then, what? You’re back to square one, but this time, you have less money. Don’t play the cyber extortionists’ game. Do yourself a favor, and save your money. Say goodbye to your files.

How did I get infected with?

Infections, like Nostro are sneaky. They resort to the old but gold means to invade your system. And, have an array of methods at their disposal. They turn to slyness and finesse, and slip past you unnoticed. But, regardless of their level of deception, they need a key ingredient. One, crucial for their successful infiltration. Your carelessness. The ransomware needs you to give into gullibility and rush. To skip doing any due diligence, and breeze through terms and conditions. It relies on you to agree to everything in haste, without bothering to learn what it is. That way, it has a chance to slither in undetected. Don’t make it easier for it! Make sure to catch it in the act. Always take the time to be vigilant. Be thorough, and do your due diligence. Even a little extra attention can save you a ton of troubles. Remember that caution keeps infections out, while carelessness does not.

Why is Nostro dangerous?

Nostro belongs to the Garrantydecrypt ransomware family. As soon as it infiltrates your system, it encrypts all of your files. Thus, rendering them unreachable. To solidify its hold over your pictures, videos, music, and so on, it adds an extension. At the end of each file, it appends ‘.nostro.’ Say, you have a photo called ‘now.jpg.’ When, the infection is don with it, it becomes ‘now.jpg.nostro.’ Once the extension is in place, that’s it. You can’t open or otherwise use your files. Moving or renaming them is pointless. The only way to reverse the encryption is via a special key. One, you can buy. The ransomware explains your predicament in the ransom note, it leaves after encryption. It’s a text file, with the name ‘#RECOVERY_FILES#.txt.’ And, it’s pretty standard. It urges you to contact the cyber criminals, and pay a ransom in Bitcoin. That is, if you wish to regain control over your files. The note claims that the amount ranges depending on “how fast you write to us.” Reaching out, to these people, is ill-advised. Paying them is ill-advised. The best course of action to take is to forsake your files, and move on. It’s a harsh choice to make, but it’s the right one. Don’t place your faith on the promises of cyber criminals. Place it on external storage, cloud services, and so on.

Nostro Removal Instructions

STEP 1: Kill the Malicious Process

STEP 2: Reveal Hidden Files

STEP 3: Locate Startup Location

STEP 4: Recover Nostro Encrypted Files

STEP 1: Stop the malicious process using Windows Task Manager

• Open your task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys simultaneously
• Locate the process of the ransomware. Have in mind that this is usually a random generated file.
• Before you kill the process, type the name on a text document for later reference.

• Locate any suspicious processes associated with Nostro encryption Virus.
• Right click on the process
• Open File Location
• End Process
• Delete the directories with the suspicious files.
• Have in mind that the process can be hiding and very difficult to detect

STEP 2: Reveal Hidden Files

• Open any folder
• Click on “Organize” button
  
• Choose “Folder and Search Options”
• Select the “View” tab
• Select “Show hidden files and folders” option
• Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”
• Click “Apply” and “OK” button

STEP 3: Locate Nostro encryption Virus startup location

• Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

• A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”
• WARNING! be very careful when editing the Microsoft Windows Registry as this may render the system broken.

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

• and delete the display Name: [RANDOM]

• Then open your explorer and navigate to:

Navigate to your %appdata% folder and delete the executable.

You can alternatively use your msconfig windows program to double check the execution point of the virus. Please, have in mind that the names in your machine might be different as they might be generated randomly, that’s why you should run any professional scanner to identify malicious files.

STEP 4: How to recover encrypted files?

• Method 1: The first and best method is to restore your data from a recent backup, in case that you have one.

• Method 2: File Recovery Software – Usually when the ransomware encrypts a file it first makes a copy of it, encrypts the copy, and then deletes the original. Due to this you may try to use file recovery software to recover some of your original files.
• Method 3: Shadow Volume Copies – As a last resort, you can try to restore your files via Shadow Volume Copies. Open the Shadow Explorer part of the package and choose the Drive you want to recover. Right click on any file you want to restore and click Export on it.