The FBI virus is a piece of ransomware that either locks infected devices down entirely or blocks their internet access, informs the user that that the measure has been taken by a law enforcement organization such as the FBI on account of illegal activity and requires the user to pay a hefty fine to make the ordeal go away. However, even if the user pays the fine, the virus has no intentions of leaving their device, which makes it all the more important for those affected by the FBI virus to get rid of it. The following are the known methods which can be used to remove the FBI virus from an iPad or iPhone:
Method 1: Erase all traces of the virus from Safari
In the event that the FBI virus has infected an iPhone or iPad through a malicious website that was accessed using Safari, all traces of the virus need to be strategically erased from the application.
- Go to Settings.
- Locate Safari in the list of applications and tap on it.
- Tap Clear History and Websites Data and in iOS 7 tap Clear History and Clear Cookies and Data
- Then tap Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data > Remove All Website Data.
- Then hold the home button and the sleep/wake button together until you see the white apple logo; when you see it; release the buttons.
Method 2: Uninstall the application that brought the virus onto the device
In some iOS devices, especially those that have been jailbreaked, an FBI virus infection can be caused by the installation of a malicious application which, in most cases, comes from a third-party source. In such an instance, uninstalling the application in question will get rid of the virus. First and foremost, a person will have to determine which of their recently installed applications gave the FBI virus an in to their device.
Method 3: Restore the device to factory settings
Install the latest version of iTunes onto a computer.
Connect the device to the computer.
If desired, back up all valuable data such as contacts to Apple’s remote servers.
Click the Restore iPhone button in the device’s Summary tab in iTunes
If prompted with a pop-up window, confirm the action by clicking on Restore, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
Wait for iTunes to work its magic.
Make sure that the device has been restored to factory settings. If the device displays the iOS Setup Assistant upon booting up, the restoration was successful and the FBI virus was successfully removed.
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