Do you know what Shiva Ransomware is?
Shiva Ransomware can slither onto your system behind your back and encrypt all your personal files, but maybe in the future because right now it seems that this malicious threat is not that dangerous at all. In fact, our researchers say that this version could be a trial as it is clearly not finished judging from a few telltale signs. This, of course, does not mean that you should take this attack lightly and leave this ransomware on your system. What if this infection "wakes up" and connects to its Command and Control (C&C) server to download an update and start the encryption all of a sudden behind your back? It is never safe to keep any potentially harmful program on your computer, let alone a potentially severe threat. If you are lucky to be hit by this first version, you should take it as a sign to start making regular backups of your important files. But right now, the first thing to do is that you remove Shiva Ransomware from your system. If you would like to protect your PC from similar attacks, please read on to find out how this ransomware may have sneaked onto your system without your knowledge.
When you find this "toothless monster" on your PC, it indicates that you had to open a spam e-mail and checked out its attachment. This ransomware spreads as a malicious file attachment in spam e-mails but it could be disguised as something else so that you do not recognize it. This file could look like an image or a Word document with macro; even the file type icon would match to trick you into believing that you are dealing with an authentic file. However, the real extension is usually still there; otherwise an executable could not execute. So this attachment could have a file name like "Invoice_08092017USfdsf.jpg.exe" unless, of course, the malicious code is hidden in the pixels of a real image file, which is a technique called Stegosploit. No wonder why you should be very cautious before clicking on any "cute" or "must-see" images and videos that you get via e-mail or even on social networking pages because one click on the wrong content and your computer can be hacked right away. Normally, you could not save your files after you remove Shiva Ransomware if this were a fully working version since your files would be all encrypted. Such a spam can look very convincing and regard matters like unpaid fines and invoices, issues with your bank account or credit card, and so on. Be cautious every time you scan through your mails and only open the ones that you are expecting to get and be more careful with the ones whose sender is unfamiliar to you.
Shiva Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
When you save this malicious attachment and click on it to view it, you actually activate this malicious attack. This ransomware is supposed to encrypt all your important files, which usually include all your photos, videos, audios, documents, archives, and third-party program files as well. This could be a horrible devastation; however, this time it seems to fail to accomplish the main task. You affected files should get a ".shiva" extension. So, if you cannot find any file with that extension, it is quite obvious that no encryption has been done. This is usually a sign for a malicious program being in developmental stage. Another such trait is that its ransom note ("hk.html") that it drops on your computer is rather short and lacks vital information, such as the amount of Bitcoins demanded, the Bitcoin address to transfer this money to, a deadline, a contact e-mail address, and other bits of information that a normal note would definitely contain. These traits led us to believe that this could be just a trial version. In any case, it is possible that a working version will appear on the web soon; therefore, you need to be prepared because next time you may not be able to get away with it without losing your files. This is why we advise you to delete Shiva Ransomware as soon as possible and make sure that you save a backup of your important files from time to time or even install a decent security tool.
Another fortunate thing about this threat is that it does not lock your screen or your computer; thus, you can simply delete the related files. If you need assistance with this, please use our instructions below this article. It should be obvious now that it is really easy to infect your system with even severe malicious threats that could cost you all your personal files. Maybe it is time you think about defending your PC in a better and more efficient way. We advise you to install trustworthy anti-malware software like SpyHunter that can automatically spot potential and malicious threats and nip them in the bud. But do not forget about the importance of keeping all your programs and drivers always up-to-date, which can also stop cyber criminals from being able to gain easy access to your system.
Remove Shiva Ransomware from Windows
- Press Win+E to launch File Explorer.
- Find the recently downloaded suspicious .exe file and delete it.
- Delete the ransom note file ("hk.html").
- Empty your Recycle Bin.
- Restart your computer.
In non-techie terms:
Shiva Ransomware is a new malicious threat that does not prove to be true to its name and may not actually destroy your world, i.e., your personal files in your virtual world. Our researchers say that it is possible that this ransomware is still under construction but somehow got leaked. And, it can also be a test run for its authors to see how it performs and spreads. Although this particular version may not cause any damage to your files, you should take this attack seriously and as a big sign that you need to start backing up your important files. We advise you to remove Shiva Ransomware from your PC immediately if you want to use a secure computer. In order to make sure that your system remains safe for you to use maybe it is time to install a reliable anti-malware program.