Akira Ransomware Recovery

Do you think you have been infected by Akira ransomware? Stay calm. This page contains information about Akira ransomware and your options for decryption, removal, and recovery.

If you need to get back up and running fast, contact our emergency response team of ransomware experts 24/7 for a FREE consultation and assessment of your situation.

Our team of expert technicians have helped hundreds of ransomware victims worldwide recover their data and get back to work as quickly and painlessly as possible.

How to know if Akira ransomware infected your system

If all your files cannot open and have a strange file extension, or see a note demanding money to get your files back, you may be infected with Akira ransomware.

Akira Ransomware was launched in March 2023 and has since been targeting organisations with ransoms in the hundreds of thousands and into the millions.

Files encrypted by Akira are usually modified to replace their file extensions with .akira.

In June 2023 Avast released a free decryption tool for Akira ransomware.
This decryption tool has been successful in some cases, however in recent cases it has no longer been effective leading us to believe that the flaw used has been patched by the Akira ransomware group.

  • Signs of a Akira Ransomware Attack
  • Akira Ransomware will put a text file named “akira_readme.txt” or other names (listed in the table below) in each encrypted folder.
  • The name of your files are changed to extensions with .akira or one of a number of other extensions listed in the table below.
  • Your CPU usage is close to 100%, even though you are not using any applications.
  • Your PC seems to be running more slowly than usual.
  • Your hard disk is reading and writing at 100% capacity in the background, even when you are not using any applications.
  • Your antivirus software is not working or is deactivated.

What to do if your data is encrypted by Akira

    • As soon as you suspect a Akira ransomware attack, disconnect the affected machines from the network and shut them down normally.
    • It is usually better not to try to communicate directly with the hackers. They are skilled at taking advantage of people under pressure. Professional negotiators achieve consistently better results.
    • Report the incident to the relevant authorities. In many countries, there is a police office dedicated to cybercrime.
    • Learn more about your options. Contact us any time, 24/7, for a free consultation with ransomware experts.

Get Help NOW! Talk to Ransomware Experts for FREE!

AKIRA RANSOMWARE FACTS & STATISTICS

Akira ransomware often targets large companies or organizations using complex attacks.

The Akira ransom demands range from $100,000 into the millions of dollars. Ransoms are usually paid in Bitcoin. Quick-buy methods of purchasing Bitcoin with PayPal or credit cards do not work for this size of ransom payment and it is important to obtain expert advise to ensure that a payment of this size is legally compliant.

Akira ransomware attacks are complex and can result in extended downtime. This is generally due to the size of the ransom demands and the logistics involved in ensuring a compliant payment processing.

For most ransomware victims, downtime is the most expensive part of the incident. It can also cause significant reputational damage.

We have worked extensively with Akira ransomware, and we understand very well how the gang operates. This enables us to rapidly resolve attacks and restore files.

There are multiple gangs operating Akira ransomware. Most of them reliably deliver working decryptors upon receipt of payment, but it’s important to ensure that you are dealing with a known gang, because some ransomware gangs are known to collect payment and disappear without providing decryption keys.

The most common method used by Akira ransomware to infect victims is phishing.

AKIRA RANSOMWARE SUMMARY
NameAkira / Akira Ransomware
Danger LevelVery High. Military grade encryption, frequent data exfiltration attacks.
Release date2023
Affected SystemsWindows/Linux
File Extensions.akira
Ransom demands"akira_readme.txt"
Contact method/emailThrough a hidden TOR web service
Known scammersNone

A typical Akira ransomware note.

akira_readme

Hi friends,

Whatever who you are and what your title is if you’re reading this it means the internal infrastructure of your company is fully or partially dead, all your backups – virtual, physical – everything that we managed to reach – are completely removed. Moreover, we have taken a great amount of your corporate data prior to encryption.

Well, for now let’s keep all the tears and resentment to ourselves and try to build a constructive dialogue. We’re fully aware of what damage we caused by locking your internal sources. At the moment, you have to know:

1. Dealing with us you will save A LOT due to we are not interested in ruining your financially. We will study in depth your finance, bank & income statements, your savings, investments etc. and present our reasonable demand to you. If you have an active cyber insurance, let us know and we will guide you how to properly use it. Also, dragging out the negotiation process will lead to failing of a deal.
2. Paying us you save your TIME, MONEY, EFFORTS and be back on track within 24 hours approximately. Our decryptor works properly on any files or systems, so you will be able to check it by requesting a test decryption service from the beginning of our conversation. If you decide to recover on your own, keep in mind that you can permanently lose access to some files or accidently corrupt them – in this case we won’t be able to help.
3. The security report or the exclusive first-hand information that you will receive upon reaching an agreement is of a great value, since NO full audit of your network will show you the vulnerabilities that we’ve managed to detect and used in order to get into, identify backup solutions and upload your data.
4. As for your data, if we fail to agree, we will try to sell personal information/trade secrets/databases/source codes – generally speaking, everything that has a value on the darkmarket – to multiple threat actors at ones. Then all of this will be published in our blog -.
5. We’re more than negotiable and will definitely find the way to settle this quickly and reach an agreement which will satisfy both of us.

If you’re indeed interested in our assistance and the services we provide you can reach out to us following simple instructions:

1. Install TOR Browser to get access to our chat room – hxxps://www.torproject.org/download/.
2. Paste this link – -.
3. Use this code – – – to log into our chat.

Keep in mind that the faster you will get in touch, the less damage we cause.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The only way to know precisely how much ransomware response will cost is to contact us for a free consultation.

Ransomware response cost varies according to the type of attack, how much data is affected, the number of computers infected, and your local environment (computer performance, servers, operating systems). The response includes removal of the ransomware, negotiations with attackers and transferring payment if necessary, restoring data, patching the vulnerability that led to the attack, and preparing all documentation for legal compliance and insurance claims. The course of action our clients choose also affects the overall cost. 

The minimum cost for small companies generally starts around several thousand euros, including the cost of the ransom. However, if at all possible, we strongly recommend avoiding paying the attackers. Paying the attackers encourages them to harm more people. However, if it is not economically feasible, we handle fully legally compliant payments to attackers. The overall expense depends a lot on the ransom amount demanded, and how successful negotiations are. We maintain a database on ransomware gangs to negotiate more effectively. In some cases, negotiations can result in a significant reduction in the ransom payment.

We have a greater than 98% success rate.

In the case of most of our clients who have cyber insurance, their coverage pays the cost of our services, as well as the ransom, if necessary. 

 

 

  1. Professional ransomware response can significantly decrease downtime. We deal with hundreds of cases every year. Through our years of experience, we have developed a streamlined process that brings our clients back online as fast as possible. In the event that a ransom has to be paid, purchasing the necessary cryptocurrency can take days. The process of resolving a ransomware attack without prior experience can take many hours of research. Most of our cases are completely resolved 24-72 hours after we begin the recovery process.

  2. Avoid dealing with criminals and ensure legal compliance. Most companies don’t feel comfortable dealing with cyber-criminals. It can add another layer of stress in emergency. We maintain files on different groups of hackers in order to maximize security and effectiveness of negotiations. We also ensure that all communications and transfers comply with applicable laws and regulations to protect our clients against potential legal problems. 

  3. Cryptocurrency transfers. It is always better to avoid giving into the attacker’s demands. If backups and normal recovery methods fail, however, there may be no other choice. Most ransomware attackers demand payment in Bitcoin. We guide you through the whole process of creating a crypto currency wallet and buying the crypto currency with you. Therefore we have different cooperation partner in order to prepare your wallet and do the transaction as quick and easy as possible for you. 

  4. Ensure data integrity and security. As specialists in the field of ransomware incident response, we are always refining industry best practices for data recovery. We have robust, standardized procedures for backing up encrypted data, restoring data, and removing viruses to ensure that there is no data loss or damage.

  5. Easy Insurance Reporting: All of our clients receive a detailed incident report with all information required by cyber-insurance and for law enforcement purposes. Thankfully, cyber-insurance often covers the cost of cyber-extortion as well as professional ransomware response services. Completing all paperwork correctly from the beginning can speed up the process of filing a claim and recovering lost funds.
  1. Backup, Backup, Backup! In most cases, a fresh and secure backup of data can prevent ransomware attack from succeeding. For this reason, many attackers put in a lot of effort to find and encrypt backups. The best backup will be air-gapped, meaning physically disconnected from your main network. It is also important to have a regular backup schedule with robust security procedures. 

  2. Install a Next-Gen Antivirus. Next generation anti-virus software combines a classic signature-based antivirus with powerful exploit protection, ransomware protection and endpoint detection and response (EDR). Mcafee, Fireeye, and Sentinel One are all examples of antivirus software with these features. 

  3. Install a Next-Gen Firewall. A Next-Gen-Firewall is also called Unified threat management (UTM) firewall. It adds a layer of security at every entry and exit point of your company data communication. It combines classic network security with intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, gateway antivirus, email filtering and many other features. 

If you can afford it, having staff or hiring a dedicated service to monitor network traffic can also help to detect unusual activity and prevent ransomware attacks. Ransomware attackers usually do a lot of surveillance on a network before attempting a hack. This “reconnaissance” phase has certain tell-tale signs. If you can catch these early, it’s possible to detect the attacker early and deny them access to the network. 

If you get hit by ransomware, a professional ransomware recovery service can help to identify and patch security gaps. 

BeforeCrypt is founded, established, licensed and registered in Germany as an GmbH business with worldwide operations. We have a full-time team of staff, contractors and cybersecurity consultants ready to work with you round the clock.

Although based in Germany, our support is available 24/7 and in 20 languages. You can use our contact form here to submit a ransomware ticket.

We are always happy to assist our clients and get them back up and running in minimal time as possible.

In emergencies, we can start with the ransomware data recovery immediately. Since our support team operates 24/7, we can reduce your downtime to a minimum by working non-stop to recover your data.

Need emergency assistance with Akira ransomware recovery? Contact us to consult with leading ransomware experts for FREE.

Ransomware Recovery Data