Security News > 2023 > June > Free Akira ransomware decryptor helps recover your files
Cybersecurity firm Avast has released a free decryptor for the Akira ransomware that can help victims recover their data without paying the crooks any money.
Akira on Windows encrypts files only partially for a speedier process, following a different encryption system depending on the file size.
For files smaller than 2,000,000 bytes, Akira will only encrypt the first half of the file contents.
The Linux version of Akira gives operators an "-n" command line argument that allows them to determine precisely what percentage of the victim's files should be encrypted.
Now that a decryptor has been released, the Akira ransomware operation will likely pore over their code to find the flaw in their encryption and fix it, preventing future victims from recovering files for free.
New ransomware decryptor recovers data from partially encrypted files.