Avast Decryption Tool for AtomSilo and LockFile

Avast is one of the major security players that also has a ransomware division in the Avast Threat Labs and periodically releases dedicated decryption tools to aid ransomware victims. Created in collaboration with the RE - CERT malware analyst Jiří Vinopal, the Avast Decryption Tool for AtomSilo and LockFile aims to provide a way for users to recover access to their encrypted files without having to pay up the ransom. The reason why this tool is good for both these ransomware strains is that they are very similar.

No installation is required, as the decryptor is up and running as soon as you double-click on the main executable. The application is capable of scanning and decrypting entire disk partitions using a wizard-based tool that requires no prior knowledge to use.

The first step you need to take is selecting the location to decrypt. By default, the application displays a list of all the detected drives, but dragging and dropping another location to the main window adds that particular location to the list. The Avast Decryption Tool supports both local and network drives.

Before proceeding with the scan, you are prompted to backup the encrypted files, just to be on the safe side of things. It is highly recommended to follow the suggestions of the decryptor. Should anything go wrong, the process can be restarted.

It is also advisable to run the decryptor with administrative rights, so as to allow the decryption of all the affected files.

The scanning process might take more or less time, depending on the number of files and the size of the selected drives. Users can pause and cancel it, but that is not advisable. The number of decypted files and the elapsed time is shown within the main window.

Avast Decryption Tool for AtomSilo and LockFile is worth a try, since users have nothing to lose. On the contrary, if it works, they get their original files back without having to pay a dime. The application can scan entire drives, decrypting files that have been infected by AtomSilo or LockFile, all in a few-steps wizard.