As the need for ransomware removal is on the rise, savvy organizations can be seen adopting the most innovative solutions to address these types of threats. Most ransomware attacks are based on emails because of their weaponized attachments, which is why blocking malicious URLs is one of the best solutions.
All About Stop Ransomware
Stop ransomware first got ransomware removal companies worried all the way back in the December of 2017. Ransomware uses a combination of RSA and AES algorithms that encrypt targeted files by adding an extension of ‘.STOP’.
While this extension is a little old, many newer versions have surfaced over almost every month in 2018. It now includes extensions such as ‘.pumax’, ‘.pumas’, ‘.puma’ and ‘.keypass’. Another thing worth mentioning here is that the most problematic versions of the same ransomware were found to be Keypass and Djvu – which we’re sure you’ve definitely heard of.
The Most Problematic Ransomware Removal
It was found quite recently that STOP ransomware has now become the most widespread ransomware removal problem and has left individuals and enterprises as victims in its wake. As mentioned before, the variants of this family of ransomware seem to be endless, and hence the problem has become almost infectious.
Nowadays, people can be seen playing victim as they are affected by things like adware bundles or promotions via crack sites or even email attachments.
The Newest Rumba Stop Ransomware
The latest trend in this huge family of ransomware includes creating the heavy distribution of installers that have been designed as cracks. This malicious campaign has been underway over the first few weeks of 2019 and the malicious ‘.rumba’ extension can be added to all the encrypted files of Stop ransomware victims. Some of complains to ransomware removal companies also included the extension called ‘.shadow.’
The Ransom Note
The victim’s computer gets the same ransom note as was seen in the original variant in 2017. The file is named ‘!!! YourDataRestore !!!.txt” and asks for a payment of $600 for the ransomware removal key. According to the instructions, the payment needs to be made via Bitcoin to a specific address for a Bitcoin wallet within the first 72 hours of encryption.
Protection Against This Widespread Disease
The best way to stop this threat is to have a continual backup system for your important data stores. By doing so, you wouldn’t have to rely on companies to recover your files for you and you wouldn’t even have to resort to paying $600!
So what if we can’t stop STOP ransomware? We can definitely make it harmless by implementing the necessary measures.