Help, I've been hacked – have I lost all my files?

The files on Tara's PC have been encrypted by CryptoWall malware, and she wonders if she can rescue anything without paying the criminals a ransom

I have been hit by a CryptoWall attack. My files are encrypted. I presume I have lost everything, but is there anything I can do to rescue them? Tara

If you have been hit by the latest CryptoWall 3 then your presumption is probably correct - unless you pay the criminals who are holding your files hostage. Ransomware is getting more and more sophisticated, and making it harder to recover files. However, it doesn't always work properly, so it is still worth trying.