Free tools to help ransomware victims retrieve files

Trend Micro International has announced the availability of free tools that the company reports will help users and organizations fight back against the dangers posed by ransomware.

“The risks and impact of ransomware threats to end-users, small and medium-sized businesses, and large organizations are more significant than ever,” Calvin Chan, technical manager at Trend Micro Hong Kong, notes in a statement Thursday from the global security software provider.

The company is looking to “empower users and organizations through these free tools so they won’t have to give in to the ransom fee or lose their confidential data,” Chan says. “Paying the ransom money does not guarantee that you will get your crucial files back. In fact, there are cases when the perpetrators will ask again for another ransom after the initial payment,” he adds.

The free solutions include Trend Micro Crypto-Ransomware File Decryptor Tool and Trend Micro Lock Screen Ransomware Tool, notes the company statement.

Systems affected with certain crypto-ransomware variants like TeslaCrypt and CryptXXX can use the decryptor tool to retrieve files that have been “held hostage” by these threats, the company reports. In addition, if the system is infected with ransomware that has a lock-screen feature, the lock tool “will help users gain access to their screen even though the malware is blocking normal and safe mode with networking.”

A primary goal is to “prevent affected users and businesses from succumbing to the pressure and the demands of paying the ransom just to retrieve their confidential data,” the statement continues.

Trend Micro recommends that users and organizations take preventive measures, including backing up data to avoid being a victim of ransomware, securing one’s perimeter, raising awareness and educating/training employees on what to do when they encounter ransomware in emails or when visiting malicious or compromised sites.