Avast Decryption Tool for Jigsaw

First noticed around March 2016, the Jigsaw ransomware is named after a famous movie character, "The Jigsaw Killer" and poses a real threat to the infected computer. Not only that it encrypts files and asks for ransom, but it also threatens to erase files if the payment is not made.
Fortunately, security companies such as Avast already started to create anti-ransomware tools as post-infection solutions. Needless to say, a permanent security solution with up-to-date definitions on your system is a must to prevent infections.

Targets an assortment of file types

The Avast Decryption Tool for Jigsaw is worth a try in case your computer has been infected by the Jigsaw ransomware. Aside from a ransom screen that usually embeds the Jigsaw Killer's picture, you can recognize the presence of this ransomware due to the changes in the name of the infected files. Jigsaw appends specific extensions to the original name, such as .payransom or .paymts, but the list contains much more items. As for the types of files it targets, Jigsaw is quite versatile: from multimedia files to Office documents, Java files, etc.

How Avast Decryption Tool for Jigsaw works

The decryption tool is created as a wizard to guide you step-by-step. First, you must select the location to decrypt, which can be either a local drive, a network drive or an individual folder.
Next, you are required to provide the path of an encrypted file and the location of the original file. The latter can be found in a system backup, your inbox, etc. This is mandatory if you don't know the key, as the application will try to rebuild the password based on specific information within the two files. Alternatively, if you know the password, the decryption tool can proceed to decrypt your files.

A post-infection solution to counterattack against Jigsaw

If you notice symptoms of the Jigsaw ransomware, then Avast Decryption Tool for Jigsaw might be of help. It attempts to unlock the files the ransomware encrypted by comparing a regular file and an infected one to return the key. Unfortunately, that is the only way the password can be retrieved. Nevertheless, Avast's Decryption Tool for Jigsaw is worth a try if it has even a small chance to help you get rid of the ransomware.