Ransomware attack occurrences have continued to rise over the past several years, and a major reason for that has been the continued prevalence of the prolific STOP/Djvu Ransomware family. This group of associated ransomware strains often releases updated versions of its malicious code, and so another addition to the family is Qqqw Ransomware.
This ransomware strain works identically to the other STOP/Djvu Ransomware family members. Like most similar infections, it spreads mostly via spam emails, social engineering, and compromised websites.
The QQQW Ransomware Experience
Users will unknowingly download Qqqw Ransomware and suddenly find their files encrypted and rendered inaccessible. They will notice that the affected files have been appended with the ‘.Qqqw’ suffix and that a ransom note now exists on their desktop in the form of the ‘_readme.txt’ document. The hackers request to pay $980 for file decryption but are willing to lower the price to $490 in return for prompt payment within 72 hours.
The ransomware owners also provide the victim with contact information: helpteam@mail.ch and helpmanager@airmail.cc. Should victims engage in communication, they will be asked to send one locked file to be decrypted for free as proof that the ransomware operators can unlock the victim’s files. We strongly recommend that you do not communicate with the hackers and refrain from paying any ransom. Paying does not guarantee file decryption or resolution to the problem.
If your files were encrypted with an offline encryption key, it might be possible to get them back with a public decryption tool developed for the STOP Ransomware infection. However, if Qqqw Ransomware used an online encryption key, getting the files back becomes almost impossible.
How Do I Deal with a QQQW Ransomware Attack?
We strongly recommend that users keep backups of their files to mitigate the trouble caused by the ransomware infection. A file backup will provide you quick access to your files should your device be infected. We also recommend that you use a reputable anti-malware tool to regularly scan for and remove infections like Qqqw Ransomware from your system.
