Your files are encrypted – you are the victim of ransomware. Is there any way to recover?–PC Pitstop.
Only Way to Recover from Ransomware
By Leo Notenboom
… some of my files are gone, saying they have been encrypted with a public key. Files like my photos and so on. Of course they have a high fee in order for me to get them back. Do you have a solution?
That was a question I received in my morning email from a friend.
And the news is not good, because no, I don’t have a solution; there’s just no good way to decrypt files encrypted by ransomware.
Prevention before the fact is the only guaranteed peace of mind on this one.
Encrypted by ransomware
This is a type of malware – a virus – most often referred to as “ransomware“. Hackers encrypt your files and then hold them hostage for ransom.
Unfortunately, the technology they use is good – it’s the same kind of encryption technology you and I have available to us, and the same kind of technology used to keep your data secure and your internet conversations private, should you be so inclined.
It’s called “public key encryption“, and it really is one of the cornerstones of internet security.
A file encrypted using public key cryptography is essentially uncrackable, unless you have the matching private key.
And needless to say, the hackers do it right. It’s essentially impossible to decrypt files encrypted by ransomware without their private
