Microsoft Removes Ransomware 24,000 Computers

Microsoft via the integrated removal tool in Windows this year of about 24 000 computers deleted ransomware. It is spread four ransomware families that spread via email attachments and drive-by downloads. To protect Windows users there is the MSRT.


This stands for Malicious Software Removal Tool. A built-in program that is updated every month with new signatures, mainly to detect active malware and remove. The MSRT is then carried out automatically on the system. This year there are already 29 new malware families added to the program, which in recent months was mainly focus on ransomware. This is because of the impact on victims and the number of infections. Since the removal tool is static and increasing numbers of new variants, Microsoft has this month decided to update the detection of different malware families.

Microsoft Tackles Infections By Tesla Crypt-Ransomware

For Windows users against ransomware to protect Microsoft millions of computers on the presence of the Tesla Crypt-ransomware checked. Tesla Crypt is a form of ransomware that appeared in March this year and like other kinds of ransomware encrypts files for ransom.

What Tesla Crypt apart is that it searches for a large number of file extensions to encrypt and this has provided the specific iTunes and computer games. In recent weeks left tens of thousands of Windows users infected with this form of ransomware. In the first half of 2015 would Tesla Crypt and CryptoWall, another notorious ransomware families, more than a half million Windows computers have been infected. The victims of Tesla Crypt  had to pay almost 500 euros to recover their files.

Earlier versions of Tesla Crypt made ​​a mistake, making the files without paying could be decrypted via a free tool from Cisco. However resolved in new versions this error. Although there is a decrease in the number of infections is still Microsoft has decided to malware via the Malicious Software Removal Tool to detect (MSRT) and remove. The MSRT is a virus removal tool built into Windows that every month during the monthly patch cycle is updated with new virus definitions and perform a scan at the same time on the system.

Microsoft Windows Computers Check On Ransomware

Microsoft this month controlled hundreds of millions of Windows computers on the presence of ransomware. The audit took place over the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT), the standard Windows virus removal tool which can detect the most prevalent families of malware and remove it.

The tool will be updated every month, so a number of new active malware families can be recognized. Simultaneously, the MSRT scans the computer also in these families. This month Microsoft released an update released so CryptoWall- and-Reveton ransomware on computers can be recognized. CryptoWall spread via email attachments, can be bundled with other malware, or downloaded by exploit kits. In May and June, Microsoft saw 300,000 computers that were infected with Crypto Wall. Once active, the ransomware encrypts all kinds of files and then demands amount to decrypt them. The infections were mainly in the United States and Brazil have been observed.

Microsoft warns users therefore not to open suspicious e-mail attachments. Also, according to the software giant does not guarantee that users after paying the ransom regain access to their files, or that the PC is again restored to its original state.Microsoft recommends paying the ransom than not also. In addition, users of an infected computer via File History recover their files.

The second ransomware family where Microsoft is focused on using the MSRT is Reveton. This family has often been the target of the virus removal tool. The ransomware locks computers and then shows a message that appears to come from the FBI or local police. According to the report, the user has committed a crime and should be a penalty to be paid. In this case, it only involves a warning. Users' files are not encrypted by Reveton.