Remember TeslaCrypt? That incredibly scary virus floating around that would encrypt your files and demand payment to get them back. After being the terror of the malware world for quite some time, things have taken a shocking turn of events. The makers of the ransomware have seemingly given up their evil deeds, and handed over the master key to ESET.

ESET is an award-winning Antivirus Software and Internet Security company. It's one of the biggest and best when it comes to cracking malware and keeping us safe online. However, for well over a year, TeslaCrypt has proven impossible for them to combat. If you were unlucky enough to get caught by this insidious software, you only had two choices – pay the fine they demanded, or lose your files for good. There were simply no fixes.

However, when the creators of TeslaCrypt announced that they were “wrapping up” their activities, ESET asked for the master key to their software. To just about everyone’s surprise, they did, and ESET was able to use it to produce a decryption tool. Now, should your files be stolen by TeslaCrypt (which is no doubt still floating around the internet, even if its original creators have abandoned use of it) you need simply download this quick fix from ESET to get all your files back.

So what’s the story here? Have the makers of TeslaCrypt finally had their fill of extorting money from homes and businesses alike? Have they turned over a new leaf and decided to do the right thing and protect the world from their creation? Or have they simply developed some horrific new piece of malware so capable of utterly destroying us that TeslaCrypt is now worthless to them? We can only hope that for once, being optimistic pays off. In the meantime, follow ESET’s advice; keep your PC updated, use a good anti-virus. And if you have any files you’re not willing to lose, back them up once, twice, three times!