The Byee virus belongs under the ransomware type of malicious agent. Malware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the read_it-EC.txt text files in every directory which contains the encrypted files.

What is known about the Byee virus?

Byee appends its extra .byee extension to the name of each encoded file. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be altered to “photo.jpg.byee”. In the same manner, the Excel table with the name “table.xlsx” will be renamed to “table.xlsx.byee”, and so forth.

In each directory that contains the encoded files, a read_it-EC.txt file will appear. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can get this decrypting software after contacting Telegram contact through email. That is basically the scheme of the malefaction.

Byee Overview:

The read_it-EC.txt document coming in package with the Byee malware states the following:

Don\'t worry, you can Return all your files!


All your files like documents, photos, databases and other are encrypted
To Contact Telegram : -


Have Good Day!

In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Byee looks like. Each filename has the “.byee” extension added to it.

How did Byee ransomware end up on my PC?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most exploited methods for tamperers to have the Byee virus acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• If you access your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a malicious item attached to them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan file scheme. A Trojan is an object that gets into your machine pretending to be something legal. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that encodes your data. Since the installation file can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to use the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrent trackers or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove ransomware?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your data, the Byee virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Remove Byee with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware

We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common Ransomware as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove Byee as well as other malware hiding on your computer.

To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:

1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.

2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.

3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.

4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.

Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.

5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.

6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.

8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.

Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.

Trojan Killer for "Byee" removal on locked PC

In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.

There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.

Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.

Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:

1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.

2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.

3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.

4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.

Step 2: Update Signature Databases:

5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.

6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.

Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:

7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.

8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.

9. Insert the USB flash drive.

10. Run tk.exe

11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.

Step 4: Remove Found Threats:

12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.

13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.

14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer:

15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.

16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.

Congratulations on effectively removing Byee and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.

Often criminals would unblock several of your files so you know that they really have the decryption program. As Byee virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware developers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. However, the decoding instruments are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.

Understandably, if the hackers do the job of encrypting someone’s critical data, the desperate person will probably comply with their demands. Despite that, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors just vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.

The best solution against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud disk or at least on an external storage. Obviously, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that one you were working upon when it all started. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Byee, that work similarly. For instance, Ttza, Ttwq, Ttrd, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Byee are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: files become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encrypted files.

Some lucky people were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decryption key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware attack?

Byee ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.

You can defend your system from ransomware infiltration in three easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the questionable letter with caution. A hoax email will always contain a mistake.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often distributed as a part of cracked software, possibly as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are difficult to tell from reliable software, as trojans may also have the functionality you need. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the best solution is not to use such software.
• And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect shield for your PC.

FAQ

How can I open “.byee” files?Are the “.byee” files accessible?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.byee” files are decrypted.

What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. All other solutions require time.

You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Byee virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

Of course not. Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with active threats. The malware that has infected your device is must be still functional and it scans your system periodically to encrypt any new files you might create on your computer after the initial attack. As it has been said above, the Byee ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide malefactors with easy access to your system after some time.

What actions should I take if the Byee malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system launches and encodes any new files created or brought into your PC. To suppress this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

What could help the situation right now?

Some of the blocked files can be found elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your critical files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You may have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to send those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, mobile, flash memory, etc.

HINT: You can employ data recovery programsTop 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.' data-wpel-link="internal" target="_self" rel="follow">¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the virus with an antivirus program.

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