Cerber 5.0.1 File Ransomware Removal (With Decryption Methods)

The following article (and guide) were created with the intention of removing the Cerber 5.0.1 File Ransomware from PCs.

There are computer viruses that can corrupt system files, making your PC unusable, such that can spy on you or ones that can force your PC to use up all of its resources for the benefit of the hacker. However, today we will be focusing on one particularly unique kind of malicious software that instead of adopting any of the aforementioned approaches, uses a method that is not inherently harmful to fulfill its noxious purpose. The type of malware we are referring is known as Ransomware and the reason why we are writing this article is the increased number of reports regarding Cerber 5.0.1 Ransomware – one of the newest and latest Ransomware viruses that is.

How Ransomware works

As we already mentioned Ransomware viruses are quite different than the other types of malware you can encounter. Instead of wreaking havoc to your system, all they typically do is encrypt your personal files. This, however, is exactly what makes them so difficult to handle. The method they use to lock your data is called encryption. Since it is very widely used by all sorts of legit and legal software for file protection, the majority of security programs do not regard encryption processes as threats. Unfortunately, the same thing happens when Ransomware gets on your PC and starts encrypting your documents. Most of the time your antivirus program will not detect it and thus the virus will remain under its radar until the encryption is finished. Therefore, even though most Ransomware viruses do not cause any damage in the actual sense of the word, they tend to be one of the worst types of viruses that one can encounter.

Another reason for that is the fact that the codes they use are getting increasingly sophisticated and with each new version decryption is getting more difficult. Still, there are quite a few released decryptor tools for a number of Ransomware viruses. You can find a list of those tools below in our removal guide. The removal guide itself is focused on helping you deal with Cerber 5.0.1 Ransomware in case your data has already been locked by it. Just keep in mind that we cannot guarantee success in all instances of Ransomware infection due to the constant and rapid evolution of these viruses.

Stopping the virus

Being well acquainted with the encryption method is useful when faced with Ransomware. Despite the fact that your antivirus program might not be able to detect the threat, you may manage to manually do that before it’s too late. In order for the virus to succeed, it first needs to copy all of them and place its encryption on those copies. Later, after it has finished copying, Cerber 5.0.1 Ransomware deletes the originals. The encrypted copies are perfectly intact; however. they are inaccessible without a specific key for the code. This is how the encryption works and it usually takes some time and also significant PC resources such as RAM and CPU usage and also hard-drive space. If the user manages to notice the unusually high consumption of system resources, they might manually detect the threat. In that case, the computer must be disconnected and shut down immediately and then brought to a professional. That way, it’s technically possible to stop the virus before it has rendered all personal data inaccessible.

Advice concerning the ransom

If Cerber 5.0.1 Ransomware manages to finish the encryption, it usually displays a message on the user’s screen in which a ransom payment is demanded. Instructions on how to make the transaction are also presented within the notification. Most of the time the money is demanded in bitcoins, which is an untraceable online currency, so that the hacker cannot be brought out of their anonymity. Many times users have asked us whether paying the ransom is a good idea in this scenario. We understand that it might be tempting, especially if the money demanded is not too much. However, understand that it is impossible to know if the criminal would actually send you the key. It’s possible that you might simply waste your money and still not gain access to your documents. That is why we always advise our readers to first try our guide, which will cost them nothing and can potentially resolve their problem without the need to obey the hacker’s demands.

Rules for protecting your computer against Ransomware

We believe that the best way to deal with Ransomware in the future is to ensure that it stays as far away from your PC as possible. The next short list of guidelines will help you do exactly that, so make sure you remember and use them:

• Invest in high-quality security software that has anti-ransomware features. Even though Ransomware protection is not as good as we would want it to be, some developers are trying their best to integrate features in their antivirus programs that allow increased protection against this type of malware. Also, sometimes Cerber 5.0.1 Ransomware gets distributed via backdoor viruses and a good security tool would help you fend those off.
• Stick to websites you know and trust and use only them when downloading new software. One of the biggest mistakes most users make is that they visit some obscure and potentially illegal sites that often lead to a Ransomware infection.
• Do not open any junk mail or hyperlinks that are sent to you since they might also infect your computer with malicious software.
• Create back-up copies of all important data you have currently stored on your PC. Make sure that you use a separate device for the back-up or a reliable cloud service that has high-quality security services.

SUMMARY:

Name	Cerber 5.0.1
Type	Ransomware
Danger Level	High (Ransomware is by far the worst threat you can encounter)
Symptoms	Significant consumption of your PC system resources (RAM,CPU, HDD storage space) during the encryption process is the most prominent symptom.
Distribution Method	Downloads from malicious/illegal websites, harmful junk mail messages and backdoor malware.

Cerber 5.0.1 Ransomware Removal

 Here is what you need to do in order to remove a Ransomware virus from you computer.

I – Reveal Hidden files and folders and utilize the task manager

1. Use the Folder Options in order to reveal the hidden files and folders on your PC. If you do not know how to do that, follow this link.
2. Open the Start Menu and in the search field type Task Manager.
   
3. Open the first result and in the Processes tab, carefully look through the list of Processes.
4. If you notice with the virus name or any other suspicious-looking or that seems to consume large amounts of memory, right-click on it and open its file location. Delete everything in there.
   

• Make sure that the hidden files and folders on your PC are visible, else you might not be able to see everything.

5. Go back to the Task Manager and end the shady process.

II – Boot to Safe Mode

• Boot your PC into Safe Mode. If you do not know how to do it, use this guide/linked/.

III – Identify the threat

1. Go to the ID Ransomware website. Here is a direct link.
2. Follow there in order to identify the specific virus you are dealing with.

IV – Decrypt your files

1. Once you have identified the virus that has encrypted your files, you must acquire the respective tool to unlock your data.
2. Open your browser and search for how to decrypt ransomware, look for the name of the one that has infected your system.
3. With any luck, you’d be able to find a decryptor tool for your ransomware. If that doesn’t happen try Step V as a last ditch effort to save your files.

V – Use Recuva to restore files deleted by the virus

1. Download the Recuva tool. This will help you restore your original files so that you won’t need to actually decrypt the locked ones.
2. Once you’ve downloaded the program, open it and select Next.
   
3. Now choose the type of files you are seeking to restore and continue to the next page.
4. When asked where your files were, before they got deleted, either use the option In a specific location and provide that location or choose the opt for the I am not sure alternative – this will make the program look everywhere on your PC.
   
5. Click on Next and for best results, enable the Deep Scan option (note that this might take some time).
   
6. Wait for the search to finish and then select which of the listed files you want to restore.

• Keep in mind it is possible that not all files might be fully recovered. You can check in what condition the files are from the State column in the list of deleted files.