Remove Skymap Ransomware Virus (+File Recovery)

How to Remove Skymap Ransomware?

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

ATTENTION!

Don’t worry my friend, you can return all your files!
All your files like photos, databases, documents and other important are encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key.
The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you.
This software will decrypt all your encrypted files.
What guarantees you have?
You can send one of your encrypted file from your PC and we decrypt it for free.
But we can decrypt only 1 file for free. File must not contain valuable information.
You can get and look video overview decrypt tool:
https://we.tl/t-WNIGhROCrH
Price of private key and decrypt software is $980.
Discount 50% available if you contact us first 72 hours, that’s price for you is $490.
Please note that you’ll never restore your data without payment.
Check your e-mail “Spam” or “Junk” folder if you don’t get answer more than 6 hours.

To get this software you need write on our e-mail:
vengisto@firemail.cc

Reserve e-mail address to contact us:
gorentos@bitmessage.ch

Our Telegram account:
@datarestore

Your personal ID:

Skymap ransomware is the newest variant of the infamous DJVU (STOP) ransomware. This advanced virus sneaks into your computer undetected and infects everything. Skymap spreads its corruption through your entire system. It drops files and starts malicious processes. It alters system settings and modifies the registry. This, of course, happens without any noticeable symptoms. The ransomware is designed to be stealthy. It covers its tracks and camouflages its processes. It lurks in the shadows and spreads its corruption. This nasty virus is after your files. It targets the user-generated data. Pictures, music, databases, archives. The ransomware encrypts your valuable data. Skymap follows programming to lock your files and to restrict your access to them. You can still see the icons of your files, but you can’t view or edit them. That’s the nature of the ransomware. It corrupts everything and promises a solution if you follow its operators’ demands. The hackers behind this virus ask for $490 worth of Bitcoin. They threaten to double the amount if you fail to transfer the money within 72 hours. Do not swing into action! Your situation is more complicated than you might imagine it to be. The hackers promise a decryption tool. These criminals, however, are more likely to double-cross you than to keep their part of the deal. Do not sponsor their criminal activities! Do what’s best for you and your PC. Cut the ransomware’s stay as short as possible. Remove this virus ASAP!

How did I get infected with?

Corrupted websites, malicious links, fake updates, software bundles. There are myriads of virus distribution tricks. You can never know where Skymap might strike from! More often than not, however, this virus travels the Web through spam messages. That’s right! The good old spam emails are still used for virus distribution. The scheme behind them, however, is more complex than it used to be. The emails deliver malicious attachments which are not camouflaged viruses. These files are tools that download the parasite’s executable. Thus, your anti-virus app doesn’t detect them as dangerous. Only your caution can prevent them from infecting your PC. Pay attention to the red flags! The malicious attachments usually display messages that urge you to “Enable” the Editing mode of your file viewer. They may also ask you to approve the installation of a plug-in. That’s your clue! Heed the warning and make sure that you know who the email sender is. If the email is from an organization, go to their official website. Compare the email addresses listed there to the questionable one. If they don’t match, delete the pretender. You can also enter the suspicious addresses into a search engine. If they were used for questionable activities, someone might have complained online. Do this for all types of messages. Whether it’s an instant message or an email, always take a minute to verify the sender!

Why is Skymap dangerous?

As soon as Skymap invades your computer, corruption follows. The ransomware corrupts your files. It detects and locks your pictures, music, videos, databases. The virus wrecks everything. It makes your PC useless. This ransomware gives you no choice but to comply with the hackers’ demands. Don’t do it! Do not give into naivety. The crooks know what they are doing. They demand Bitcoin. This currency is untraceable. No one can help you get your money back. You cannot ask for a refund if something goes wrong. And that’s inevitable! Practice shows that the hackers tend to ignore their victims once they receive the money. There are many cases when the victims paid just to get blackmailed for more. There are also instances when the victims received nonfunctional decryption tools. Don’t waste your time and money. Paying the ransom won’t accomplish anything. You will get nothing in return! Your best course of action is the immediate removal of the virus. Find where Skymap hides and delete it upon detection!

Skymap Removal Instructions

STEP 1: Kill the Malicious Process

STEP 2: Reveal Hidden Files

STEP 3: Locate Startup Location

STEP 4: Recover Skymap 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 Skymap 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 Skymap 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.