VaultCrypt Ransomware Data Recovery

If you want to understand VaultCrypt, you first need to know what ransomware is. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts your files and demands a ransom to decrypt them. VaultCrypt is a type of ransomware that specifically targets Vault documents.

Vault documents are encrypted using a strong cipher, and this ransomware demands a ransom of 1 Bitcoin (approximately $700 at the time of writing) to decrypt them. If you have Vault documents that VaultCrypt has encrypted, you will need to pay the ransom to get them back.

There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will result in your files being decrypted, so it is not recommended that you do so.

Instead, you should focus on preventing VaultCrypt Ransomware from encrypting your files in the first place. The best way to do this is to have a reliable anti-malware program installed on your computer and to keep it up-to-date. You should also avoid opening email attachments from unknown senders, as this ransomware is often spread via email phishing scams.

History

It was first discovered in August 2016. It is believed to be a variant of the Locky Ransomware, which is one of the most widespread ransomware families. VaultCrypt shares many similarities with Locky, including the way it spreads and the way it encrypts files.

However, as we said before, VaultCrypt specifically targets Vault documents, which are used by many businesses for storing sensitive data. This makes it a particularly dangerous ransomware strain, as it can result in businesses losing access to critical data.

In November 2016, Michael Gillespie released a VaultCrypt Ransomware decryption tool. This tool can decrypt files encrypted by VaultCrypt Ransomware, but it only works if you have a Vault document that was encrypted with the “AES-128” encryption algorithm.

If it encrypted your Vault documents with the “AES-256” encryption algorithm, you will not be able to decrypt them with this tool.

How do you understand that it is VaultCrypt?

There are a few ways. One is the file extensions that are appended to encrypted files, which are “.vault” for files encrypted with the “AES-128” algorithm and “.vvv” for files encrypted with the “AES-256” algorithm.

Another way is the ransom note that is left behind by VaultCrypt Ransomware, which contains instructions on how to pay the ransom and decrypt your files. The ransom note is called “HOW TO DECRYPT YOUR FILES.TXT” for “AES-128” encrypted files and “HOW TO DECRYPT YOUR FILES.HTML” for “AES-256” encrypted files.

Finally, you can check the encryption metadata of your Vault documents to see if VaultCrypt Ransomware encrypted them. This can be done by opening the file in a text editor and looking for the string “VaultCrypt” in the metadata.

If you find this string, your Vault document was likely encrypted by this ransomware.

What can you do?

If VaultCrypt does manage to encrypt your Vault documents, there is no guaranteed way to decrypt them. However, you can try using a data recovery program to see if it can recover any of your encrypted files. Even if you can recover some of your files, they will probably be corrupted and not usable.

But, the first thing you should do is disconnect your computer from the internet to prevent the ransomware from encrypting any more files.

You should then attempt to use a data recovery program to recover as much of your data as possible.

SalvageData data recovery software is recommended, as it has a high success rate in recovering files from ransomware-encrypted drives.

Once you have recovered your data, you should format your drive and reinstall your operating system. This will remove the VaultCrypt Ransomware from your computer and allow you to start fresh.

Also, to remove VaultCrypt Ransomware from your computer, you can use a reliable anti-malware program. We recommend using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, as it can detect and remove VaultCrypt Ransomware and other types of malware.

Once you have installed the program, run a scan of your computer to remove VaultCrypt.

You can restore your Vault documents from a backup if you have one. This is the most reliable way to recover your files, as you will not have to worry about file corruption or paying a ransom.

We hope this article was helpful in understanding VaultCrypt.

Contact SalvageData

If you have any questions or need help recovering your data or removing VaultCrypt from your computer, please contact us. One of our experts will be happy to assist you.

SalvageData is the leading data recovery company in North America, with over 15 years of experience. We have recovered data from over 50,000 drives and devices, including those encrypted by VaultCrypt Ransomware.

Our ISO 9001 & SSAE 16 Type II certified laboratory is equipped with the latest technology and software to ensure that we can recover your data quickly and safely.

Call us at +1 (800) 972-3282 to speak to a data recovery specialist, or visit our website to schedule a free consultation. We offer 24/7 emergency service for time-sensitive cases.