Spectre Ransomware Removal Guide

Do you understand the severity of ransomware? If you do, there is no need to explain how dangerous Spectre Ransomware could be. This infection joins the vast family of ransomware threats that are infecting more and more computer every day. The threats that have come before the ransomware we are analyzing right now include YouTube Ransomware, TheDarkEncryptor Ransomware, and Executioner Ransomware. Unfortunately, new ones emerge every day, and that is unlikely to stop anytime soon because cyber criminals have great success making money using this malware. Also, open source codes have made it easier for inexperienced cyber criminals to create their own threats. In this report, we show how to delete Spectre Ransomware, as well as how to protect your operating system from other ransomware infections that might try to invade in the future.

The infiltration method that Spectre Ransomware might use to enter your operating system is unknown because this infection is not yet released. That being said, it could become active at any moment, which is why we have to discuss it right away. The developer of this threat is unknown, but it is obvious that it is not one of those infections that only pose as ransomware to trick users into thinking that their files are encrypted. This one actually encrypts files, and it should do that using the AES cipher. The launcher of the infection – regardless of how it ends up on your computer – should contact a remote server to get the encryptor. After the encryption is complete, it should communicate with another server to send information about the encrypted files (specifically, the amount of them). Unfortunately, you cannot stop Spectre Ransomware once it is executed, even if you remove it quickly.

Since Spectre Ransomware is a silent infection – at least, up until it completes encryption – many users are likely to recognize its existence only after they find personal files encrypted. Once the file is encrypted, you cannot open it. In fact, you might not even recognize your files because their names should be changed to a random string of characters. Additionally, the “.spectre” extension should be added as well. Can you recover your files yourself or using third-party file decryptors? Unfortunately, that is highly unlikely, and that means that you might find yourself following the instructions of cyber criminals. These instructions should be represented via a file called HowToDecryptIMPORTANT!.txt (should be found on the Desktop and along with all encrypted files). Nothing bad will happen if you open the file, but you should not forget to remove it once you remove the ransomware itself.

The suspicious HowToDecryptIMPORTANT!.txt file suggests that you need to pay a ransom of 200 USD if you want to get your files back. If you follow the link to http://a0142503.xsph.ru/login.php (did not work at the time of research), you should get more information on the payment. The website should represent FAQ and Support pages, as well as the instructions on how to pay the ransom. You have to decide for yourself whether or not you want to make the payment, which you should not even think about if your files are backed up and can replace the infected copies. If your personal files are, unfortunately, not backed up, it is only natural that you are thinking about fulfilling the demands of Spectre Ransomware creators. Is that a good idea? Considering that the chances of you getting the so-called “Spectre Decryptor” are very slim, it is not. All in all, the decision is yours.

Have you considered installing anti-malware software? If you have, it is high time you do that. If you have not, we strongly recommend looking into this because only this software can keep malware away in the future. If you install it now, you will have Spectre Ransomware removed automatically. That being said, you also might be able to eliminate this threat manually. The guide below is very simple, and that is because the ransomware does not need much to corrupt your files. After that, it is unlikely that you would rush to delete the threat anyway. Hopefully, you can find the malicious .exe file responsible for everything. If you cannot, a legitimate anti-malware tool will help you out.

How to delete Spectre Ransomware

1. Right-click and Delete the [unknown name].exe file (that is the ransomware).
2. Right-click and Delete the file named HowToDecryptIMPORTANT!.txt (the ransom note).
3. Right-click the recycle bin and select Empty Recycle Bin.
4. Perform a full system scan using a legitimate malware scanner.