LockZ (.lockz) ransomware virus - removal and decryption options

What kind of malware is LockZ?

LockZ is ransomware that encrypts files and appends its extension (".lockz") to files. After encryption, files look like this: "1.jpg" is changed to "1.jpg.lockz", "2.png" to "2.png.lockz", and so forth. Also, LockZ changes the desktop wallpaper and drops a ransom note ("@HELP_HERE_TO_RESCUE_YOUR_FILES@.txt").

Screenshot of files encrypted by this ransomware:

LockZ ransom note overview

The LockZ ransomware delivers a ransom note stating that the victim’s system has been infected and all files, including documents, images, and databases, have been encrypted. Victims are instructed not to attempt recovery on their own, as doing so may permanently damage the files.

To restore access, the attackers demand a payment of 1 BTC to a specific Bitcoin address and promise to send a decryption file within 24 hours of payment. The note threatens that the ransom will double if payment is not made within 48 hours and claims that files will be permanently deleted after 72 hours.

Victims are warned against contacting authorities or using third-party recovery tools. The note also includes a contact email (asadopollo230@gmail.com) for further instructions.

More details about ransomware

Usually, cybercriminals behind ransomware are the only ones who can decrypt files. Thus, victims are forced to pay for decryption unless they have data backups, or third-party decryption tools can be found. Paying is not advisable because the attackers may not provide decryption tools even after receiving payment.

Also, ransomware can continue encrypting files if not removed. Thus, victims should eliminate it as soon as possible to avoid additional data loss and prevent ransomware from spreading over a local network.

Ransomware in general

Ransomware attacks can lead to both data loss and significant financial damage. Thus, it is important to regularly create data backups and keep them on remote servers or unplugged storage devices. Also, it is highly advisable to be careful when browsing and use a reliable security tool.

More examples of ransomware are Lyrix, Pres, and PowerLocker.

How did ransomware infect my computer?

Ransomware is distributed through email (by sending malicious links or attachments/files), software vulnerabilities, pirated software (or cracking tools and key generators), technical support scams, deceptive or compromised websites, P2P networks, infected removable drives, harmful ads, and similar channels.

The attackers' main goal is to deceive users into running malicious executables, enabling macros in infected MS Office documents, or performing other actions that activate ransomware and lead to data encryption.

How to protect yourself from ransomware infections?

Download software and files from reputable sources, such as official websites or app stores. Never use pirated/cracked software, unofficial activation tools (cracking tools), or key generators to bypass activation. Exercise caution with unexpected or irrelevant emails, especially from unfamiliar senders that include links or attachments.

Also, do not trust pop-ups, links, ads, and similar content on dubious web pages. Lastly, keep your operating system, software, and security applications up to date, and perform regular scans for potential threats. If your computer is already infected with LockZ, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this ransomware.

Screenshot of LockZ's text file ("@HELP_HERE_TO_RESCUE_YOUR_FILES@.txt"):

Text in this file:

Security Alert!

Your system has been infected by **LockZ**. All your files have been securely encrypted.

What does this mean?
Your documents, images, databases, and other important files have been locked, and you cannot access them.
Do not attempt to restore or recover the access by other means. Any attempt to interfere with the encryption process will make your files irrecoverable.

To recover your files, follow these steps:

1. Make the payment of **1 BTC** to the following Bitcoin address (this is the only way to restore your files):

Bitcoin Address: **3B7VJ9hQ5A2FpX4Z78Y3T6L1D4kM0W9G**

2. After the payment is made, you will receive a **decryption file** within **24 hours**.

Important:
- If you do not make the payment within the next **48 hours**, the ransom will **double**.
- If the payment is not made within **72 hours**, your files will be **permanently deleted**.

Warning:
- Do not attempt to contact authorities. Doing so will forfeit any chance of recovering your files.
- Do not try to use third-party decryption software. This will permanently destroy your data.

For further information or inquiries, contact:
asadopollo230@gmail.com

Remember, **LockZ** holds the key to your files. Make the payment and regain access to your data quickly.

Screenshot of LockZ's desktop wallpaper:

Text in the wallpaper:

SECURITY ALERT!
Your computer has been infected by LockZ. All your files have been encrypted and are now inaccessible.
DONâE™T WORRY! If you follow the instructions below, you can recover your files.
STEP 1: Create a Bitcoin account:
If you donât™t have a Bitcoin account, go to a trusted website like https://www.coinbase.com or https://www.binance.com and follow the steps to create an account.
Complete the verification process and enable your account to send and receive Bitcoin.
STEP 2: Buy Bitcoin:
Once youâ€ve created your Bitcoin account, you need to buy Bitcoin. To do this, go to the "Buy" section of your account platform.
You can pay with a credit card, debit card, or bank transfer, depending on what the site offers.
Buy at least 1 BTC. If you don’t have enough money, you can buy smaller amounts, but remember we need at least 1 BTC to proceed with unlocking your files.
STEP 3: Transfer Bitcoin to the payment address:
After you have purchased Bitcoin, you need to send it to the following Bitcoin address to restore your files:
Bitcoin Payment Address:
3B7VJ9hQ5A2FpX4Z78Y3T6L1D4kM0W9G
Make sure to send exactly 1 BTC. If the amount is incorrect, we will not be able to unlock your files.
STEP 4: Contact us:
After making the payment, contact us at asadopollo230@gmail.com and inform us that the payment has been made. We will send you the decryption file within 24 hours.
IMPORTANT:
If you don’t make the payment within 48 hours, the price will increase.
If you donâE™t pay within 72 hours, your files will be permanently deleted.
Act quickly and regain access to your files!

LockZ ransomware removal:

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Video suggesting what steps should be taken in case of a ransomware infection:

Quick menu:

• What is LockZ virus?
• STEP 1. Reporting ransomware to authorities.
• STEP 2. Isolating the infected device.
• STEP 3. Identifying the ransomware infection.
• STEP 4. Searching for ransomware decryption tools.
• STEP 5. Restoring files with data recovery tools.
• STEP 6. Creating data backups.

Reporting ransomware to authorities:

If you are a victim of a ransomware attack we recommend reporting this incident to authorities. By providing information to law enforcement agencies you will help track cybercrime and potentially assist in the prosecution of the attackers. Here's a list of authorities where you should report a ransomware attack. For the complete list of local cybersecurity centers and information on why you should report ransomware attacks, read this article.

List of local authorities where ransomware attacks should be reported (choose one depending on your residence address):

•  USA - Internet Crime Complaint Centre IC3
•  United Kingdom - Action Fraud
•  Spain - Policía Nacional
•  France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
•  Germany - Polizei
•  Italy - Polizia di Stato
•  The Netherlands - Politie
•  Poland - Policja
•  Portugal - Polícia Judiciária

Isolating the infected device:

Some ransomware-type infections are designed to encrypt files within external storage devices, infect them, and even spread throughout the entire local network. For this reason, it is very important to isolate the infected device (computer) as soon as possible.

Step 1: Disconnect from the internet.

The easiest way to disconnect a computer from the internet is to unplug the Ethernet cable from the motherboard, however, some devices are connected via a wireless network and for some users (especially those who are not particularly tech-savvy), disconnecting cables may seem troublesome. Therefore, you can also disconnect the system manually via Control Panel:

Navigate to the "Control Panel", click the search bar in the upper-right corner of the screen, enter "Network and Sharing Center" and select search result:

Click the "Change adapter settings" option in the upper-left corner of the window:

Right-click on each connection point and select "Disable". Once disabled, the system will no longer be connected to the internet. To re-enable the connection points, simply right-click again and select "Enable".

Step 2: Unplug all storage devices.

As mentioned above, ransomware might encrypt data and infiltrate all storage devices that are connected to the computer. For this reason, all external storage devices (flash drives, portable hard drives, etc.) should be disconnected immediately, however, we strongly advise you to eject each device before disconnecting to prevent data corruption:

Navigate to "My Computer", right-click on each connected device, and select "Eject":

Step 3: Log-out of cloud storage accounts.

Some ransomware-type might be able to hijack software that handles data stored within "the Cloud". Therefore, the data could be corrupted/encrypted. For this reason, you should log-out of all cloud storage accounts within browsers and other related software. You should also consider temporarily uninstalling the cloud-management software until the infection is completely removed.

Identify the ransomware infection:

To properly handle an infection, one must first identify it. Some ransomware infections use ransom-demand messages as an introduction (see the WALDO ransomware text file below).

This, however, is rare. In most cases, ransomware infections deliver more direct messages simply stating that data is encrypted and that victims must pay some sort of ransom. Note that ransomware-type infections typically generate messages with different file names (for example, "_readme.txt", "READ-ME.txt", "DECRYPTION_INSTRUCTIONS.txt", "DECRYPT_FILES.html", etc.). Therefore, using the name of a ransom message may seem like a good way to identify the infection. The problem is that most of these names are generic and some infections use the same names, even though the delivered messages are different and the infections themselves are unrelated. Therefore, using the message filename alone can be ineffective and even lead to permanent data loss (for example, by attempting to decrypt data using tools designed for different ransomware infections, users are likely to end up permanently damaging files and decryption will no longer be possible even with the correct tool).

Another way to identify a ransomware infection is to check the file extension, which is appended to each encrypted file. Ransomware infections are often named by the extensions they append (see files encrypted by Qewe ransomware below).

This method is only effective, however, when the appended extension is unique - many ransomware infections append a generic extension (for example, ".encrypted", ".enc", ".crypted", ".locked", etc.). In these cases, identifying ransomware by its appended extension becomes impossible.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to identify a ransomware infection is to use the ID Ransomware website. This service supports most existing ransomware infections. Victims simply upload a ransom message and/or one encrypted file (we advise you to upload both if possible).

The ransomware will be identified within seconds and you will be provided with various details, such as the name of the malware family to which the infection belongs, whether it is decryptable, and so on.

Example 1 (Qewe [Stop/Djvu] ransomware):

Example 2 (.iso [Phobos] ransomware):

If your data happens to be encrypted by ransomware that is not supported by ID Ransomware, you can always try searching the internet by using certain keywords (for example, a ransom message title, file extension, provided contact emails, crypto wallet addresses, etc.).

Search for ransomware decryption tools:

Encryption algorithms used by most ransomware-type infections are extremely sophisticated and, if the encryption is performed properly, only the developer is capable of restoring data. This is because decryption requires a specific key, which is generated during the encryption. Restoring data without the key is impossible. In most cases, cybercriminals store keys on a remote server, rather than using the infected machine as a host. Dharma (CrySis), Phobos, and other families of high-end ransomware infections are virtually flawless, and thus restoring data encrypted without the developers' involvement is simply impossible. Despite this, there are dozens of ransomware-type infections that are poorly developed and contain a number of flaws (for example, the use of identical encryption/decryption keys for each victim, keys stored locally, etc.). Therefore, always check for available decryption tools for any ransomware that infiltrates your computer.

Finding the correct decryption tool on the internet can be very frustrating. For this reason, we recommend that you use the No More Ransom Project and this is where identifying the ransomware infection is useful. The No More Ransom Project website contains a "Decryption Tools" section with a search bar. Enter the name of the identified ransomware, and all available decryptors (if there are any) will be listed.

Restore files with data recovery tools:

Depending on the situation (quality of ransomware infection, type of encryption algorithm used, etc.), restoring data with certain third-party tools might be possible. Therefore, we advise you to use the Recuva tool developed by CCleaner. This tool supports over a thousand data types (graphics, video, audio, documents, etc.) and it is very intuitive (little knowledge is necessary to recover data). In addition, the recovery feature is completely free.

Step 1: Perform a scan.

Run the Recuva application and follow the wizard. You will be prompted with several windows allowing you to choose what file types to look for, which locations should be scanned, etc. All you need to do is select the options you're looking for and start the scan. We advise you to enable the "Deep Scan" before starting, otherwise, the application's scanning capabilities will be restricted.

Wait for Recuva to complete the scan. The scanning duration depends on the volume of files (both in quantity and size) that you are scanning (for example, several hundred gigabytes could take over an hour to scan). Therefore, be patient during the scanning process. We also advise against modifying or deleting existing files, since this might interfere with the scan. If you add additional data (for example, downloading files/content) while scanning, this will prolong the process:

Step 2: Recover data.

Once the process is complete, select the folders/files you wish to restore and simply click "Recover". Note that some free space on your storage drive is necessary to restore data:

Create data backups:

Proper file management and creating backups is essential for data security. Therefore, always be very careful and think ahead.

Partition management: We recommend that you store your data in multiple partitions and avoid storing important files within the partition that contains the entire operating system. If you fall into a situation whereby you cannot boot the system and are forced to format the disk on which the operating system is installed (in most cases, this is where malware infections hide), you will lose all data stored within that drive. This is the advantage of having multiple partitions: if you have the entire storage device assigned to a single partition, you will be forced to delete everything, however, creating multiple partitions and allocating the data properly allows you to prevent such problems. You can easily format a single partition without affecting the others - therefore, one will be cleaned and the others will remain untouched, and your data will be saved. Managing partitions is quite simple and you can find all the necessary information on Microsoft's documentation web page.

Data backups: One of the most reliable backup methods is to use an external storage device and keep it unplugged. Copy your data to an external hard drive, flash (thumb) drive, SSD, HDD, or any other storage device, unplug it and store it in a dry place away from the sun and extreme temperatures. This method is, however, quite inefficient, since data backups and updates need to be made regularly. You can also use a cloud service or remote server. Here, an internet connection is required and there is always the chance of a security breach, although it's a really rare occasion.

We recommend using Microsoft OneDrive for backing up your files. OneDrive lets you store your personal files and data in the cloud, sync files across computers and mobile devices, allowing you to access and edit your files from all of your Windows devices. OneDrive lets you save, share and preview files, access download history, move, delete, and rename files, as well as create new folders, and much more.

You can back up your most important folders and files on your PC (your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders). Some of OneDrive’s more notable features include file versioning, which keeps older versions of files for up to 30 days. OneDrive features a recycling bin in which all of your deleted files are stored for a limited time. Deleted files are not counted as part of the user’s allocation.

The service is built using HTML5 technologies and allows you to upload files up to 300 MB via drag and drop into the web browser or up to 10 GB via the OneDrive desktop application. With OneDrive, you can download entire folders as a single ZIP file with up to 10,000 files, although it can’t exceed 15 GB per single download.

OneDrive comes with 5 GB of free storage out of the box, with an additional 100 GB, 1 TB, and 6 TB storage options available for a subscription-based fee. You can get one of these storage plans by either purchasing additional storage separately or with Office 365 subscription.

Creating a data backup:

The backup process is the same for all file types and folders. Here’s how you can back up your files using Microsoft OneDrive

Step 1: Choose the files/folders you want to backup.

Click the OneDrive cloud icon to open the OneDrive menu. While in this menu, you can customize your file backup settings.

Click Help & Settings and then select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Go to the Backup tab and click Manage backup.

In this menu, you can choose to backup the Desktop and all of the files on it, and Documents and Pictures folders, again, with all of the files in them. Click Start backup.

Now, when you add a file or folder in the Desktop and Documents and Pictures folders, they will be automatically backed up on OneDrive.

To add folders and files, not in the locations shown above, you have to add them manually.

Open File Explorer and navigate to the location of the folder/file you want to backup. Select the item, right-click it, and click Copy.

Then, navigate to OneDrive, right-click anywhere in the window and click Paste. Alternatively, you can just drag and drop a file into OneDrive. OneDrive will automatically create a backup of the folder/file.

All of the files added to the OneDrive folder are backed up in the cloud automatically. The green circle with the checkmark in it indicates that the file is available both locally and on OneDrive and that the file version is the same on both. The blue cloud icon indicates that the file has not been synced and is available only on OneDrive. The sync icon indicates that the file is currently syncing.

To access files only located on OneDrive online, go to the Help & Settings drop-down menu and select View online.

Step 2: Restore corrupted files.

OneDrive makes sure that the files stay in sync, so the version of the file on the computer is the same version on the cloud. However, if ransomware has encrypted your files, you can take advantage of OneDrive’s Version history feature that will allow you to restore the file versions prior to encryption.

Microsoft 365 has a ransomware detection feature that notifies you when your OneDrive files have been attacked and guide you through the process of restoring your files. It must be noted, however, that if you don’t have a paid Microsoft 365 subscription, you only get one detection and file recovery for free.

If your OneDrive files get deleted, corrupted, or infected by malware, you can restore your entire OneDrive to a previous state. Here’s how you can restore your entire OneDrive:

1. If you're signed in with a personal account, click the Settings cog at the top of the page. Then, click Options and select Restore your OneDrive.

If you're signed in with a work or school account,  click the Settings cog at the top of the page. Then, click Restore your OneDrive.

2. On the Restore your OneDrive page, select a date from the drop-down list. Note that if you're restoring your files after automatic ransomware detection, a restore date will be selected for you.

3. After configuring all of the file restoration options, click Restore to undo all the activities you selected.

The best way to avoid damage from ransomware infections is to maintain regular up-to-date backups.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How was my computer hacked and how did hackers encrypt my files?

Ransomware is spread through various methods, including deceptive emails, pirated software, software flaws, fake support scams, and harmful websites or ads. Attackers aim to trick users into actions—like opening infected files or enabling macros—that trigger ransomware and encrypt data.

How to open ".lockz" files?

Ransomware has locked your files, and they cannot be accessed without a decryption process.

Where should I look for free decryption tools for LockZ ransomware?

In case of a ransomware attack you should check the No More Ransom project website (more information above).

I can pay you a lot of money, can you decrypt files for me?

Our team does not provide this type of service. Typically, files encrypted by ransomware cannot be restored without the decryption keys or tools possessed by the attackers—unless the malware has a known flaw. As a result, third parties offering paid decryption often act as middlemen or attempt to exploit (scam) victims.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove LockZ ransomware?

Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate active ransomware infections from a system. However, while antivirus tools are essential for removing malware, they are not capable of decrypting files that have already been locked by ransomware.