Data encryption isn’t the only damage that this ransomware does to the system. It also installs a password stealer known as AZORULT to gather all victim’s passwords. This guide explains how the COPA ransomware virus operates, instructions to test official file decryption and recovery tools, and provides steps to remove the virus safely.

_readme.txt delivers criminals’ message

The message in the ransom note dropped by COPA file virus is not ambiguous, to say the least. The note tells the victim that all of his files have been encrypted, thus the ability to access the files is lost. It also states that the encryption itself is performed using an extremely strong cipher. Although it is not mentioned in the note, experts know that STOP/DJVU variants use RSA cipher. The note also states that the only way to decrypt .copa extension files is to contact the cybercriminals via given email addresses and then follow their instructions regarding the ransom payment. The primary and secondary emails of the ransomware developers are provided (helpmanager@mail.ch or restoremanager@airmail.cc), and the user is encouraged to follow further instructions. The ransom note suggests testing the COPA decryptor – the victim can send one encrypted file to the cybercriminals and expect a decrypted version in return. However, remember that this might be a smart trick to convince you to transfer the funds to the crooks. It doesn’t 100% mean you will recover all your files after paying the demanded sum of money. The stated ransom size is 980$ in Bitcoin although, according to the criminals, a discount of 50% is available in the first 72 hours. This extortion technique is used to cause panic and hurried decisions. Although it might seem like a viable option, you should never make a contact with cybercriminals, since you can never be sure that the hacker will keep his end of the bargain. There are countless cases when even after the payment was made, the user did not receive any decryption key. So, to avoid unnecessary financial loss, you should not meet the criminals’ demands. Unfortunately, there is little you can do to regain access to your files. This is owing to the fact that COPA ransomware uses particularly high-grade military ciphers. To illustrate, trying to decrypt it manually might take years and a huge amount of computer resources. Consequently, the only viable way to reach your personal files is to use a data backup (provided that you have it). In addition, it is crucial to understand, that you should remove the virus before using any type of backup, no matter whether it is internal or external since the malware might infect it as well. Fortunately enough, a guide explaining how to remove COPA ransomware is provided down below. To clean up virus damage on Windows OS files, we recommend using RESTORO.

Virus Summary

Ransomware distribution tactics explained

In essence, there are a few main paths by which your system might get infected by a virus like COPA. Firstly, this kind of software is often found on illegal downloads that are transferred through popular file-sharing agents (like Torrent, zMule, etc.). These websites usually provide and an ordinary user with an opportunity to obtain some form of software or other digital data (which might be expensive) for free. Although it might seem really beneficial, in this case, the user might pay a bigger price than for the official product itself. Downloading a crack, keygen, software activation tool or similar software might end up in your personal files’ encryption which, usually, is far more expensive. So, no matter how many temptations you feel to download something illegally, remember that this course of action might end up in a situation, in which the costs outweigh the benefits. The second way by which viruses like COPA tend to spread is malspam campaigns. To illustrate it shortly, the hackers are using a simple scheme – a deceptive email that usually contains a file, or a link is sent to thousands of internet users. This is where hackers get really creative – the emails are disguised in various forms – job offers, resumes, business offers, invitations, etc. In addition, the file attached typically contains the virus. If you open it – chances are that your system might get infected if it does not have sufficient protection against this kind of software. These files also might come in various formats, even such as .pdf or .docx. Other methods that are used by cybercriminals to proliferate the COPA ransomware virus might include malicious ad campaigns, fake updaters, etc. If you want to avoid these kinds of headaches altogether, you must follow a certain set of rules (which, honestly, is quite simple) while you are using the internet. Firstly, do not download anything from unofficial distribution sites. Secondly, do not open any suspicious-looking emails and especially the files that are attached to them. Lastly, think twice before clicking on a random ad.

How to remove COPA ransomware virus

COPA ransomware removal process requires a high level of attention – even though our recommended method is as straightforward as possible, we still recommend you follow the steps attentively. To achieve this, you will need a trustworthy and robust anti-malware software. In order to terminate the virus damage completely, we recommend you use RESTORO since it also helps to optimize the system after the removal.

Post-removal steps

Once you remove COPA virus, you can safely restore your files by using a backup. It is highly recommended to change all of your passwords after deleting the ransomware since it might have triggered a chain infection – downloaded additional malware, such as Trojans like AZORULT and other viruses. These viruses, amongst other dangerous capabilities, could steal your passwords. Lastly, you might notice that you are not able to access certain security-related websites after the attack – this is due to the fact that COPA ransomware might be able to modify your Windows HOSTS file. To revert the changes, follow this guide. OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove COPA ransomware virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove COPA ransomware virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt COPA files

Fix and open large COPA files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. COPA ransomware virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt COPA files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The COPA decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your COPA extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Victims of COPA ransomware virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.