BugsFighter

Nitz Ransomware is a large family of encryption viruses with over than a year of history. It has undergone multiple visual and technical modifications during the time. This article will describe the peculiar properties of the latest versions of this malware. Since the beginning of April 2023, STOP Ransomware started to add following extensions to encrypted files: .nitz. And after the name of the extension, it is called "Nitz Ransomware". Virus modifies the "hosts" file to block Windows updates, antivirus programs, and sites related to security news. The process of infection also looks like installing Windows updates, the malware generates a fake window and progress bar for this. This version of STOP Ransomware now uses the following e-mail addresses: support@freshmail.top and datarestorehelp@airmail.cc. STOP Ransomware creates ransom note file _readme.txt.

Search-alpha.com is a fake search engine that likely replaced your default homepage without consent. It is also considered to be another variant of searchmarquis.com. Such domains are by-products of browser hijackers that get installed in the form of extensions or desktop apps and are designed to inject certain unwanted changes into a browser. Talking about Search-alpha.com, it has been observed to redirect users through dubious search-location.com and api.lisumanagerine.club domains to various genuine search engines (e.g., bing.com, ask.com, nearbyme.io, etc.). Some of these engines may be legitimate and some may not. Thus, do not trust anything that is provoked by Search-alpha.com. Some browser hijackers are also notorious for displaying compromised ads designed to trick users into downloading unwanted software or even malware. In addition, browser hijackers that promote fake search engines are oftentimes able to perform data-tracking activities to collect information about the users. The range of interest may include IP-addresses, geolocations, cookies, passwords, and other kinds of sensitive information. Thus, if Search-alpha.com appeared in your browser and does not want to get away, follow our guide below to detect and remove the source of its consistent appearance.

If you are reading this page, then the "SharePoint" e-mail is likely a scam message, which should be ignored or even deleted. Initially, SharePoint is a legitimate Microsoft tool used by many companies worldwide, however, some scammers impersonate its name and templates for promoting malicious links/buttons leading to fishing websites. The "SharePoint" e-mail spam has been observed to mimic company names and make recipients read some important information inside a fake PDF attachment. This attachment was reported to contain a link leading to a fake Microsoft website. Keep in mind that such websites are designed to trick users into providing sensitive information and let threat actors abuse it for stealing access to Microsoft 365 (Office) or other accounts likely registered with the same login credentials. It is always highly advised against clicking on links or downloading attachments from messages that seem suspicious. Some cybercriminals may abuse PDF, Word, Excel, RAR, ZIP, and other genuine files for setting up executable scripts that will install malware. Thus, always be careful with what you click or download from e-mail messages. "SharePoint" e-mail spam is only one of the countless other scam e-mails that target users each day. Beware of them and read our guide to get protection against them in the future.

If you landed on this article, you most likely got hit by Niwm Ransomware, that encrypted your files and modified their extensions to .niwm. The name Niwm is only given to this malware to help users find the removal and decryption solution, and according to the suffix it appends. In fact, this is just the 681-th version of STOP Ransomware (sometimes called Djvu Ransomware), that has been active for more than 5 years and became one of the most widespread ransomware families. Niwm was released in the first days of April 2023. Unfortunately, there are low chances for 100% decryption now as it uses strong encryption algorithms, however, with instructions below you will be able to recover some files. uses the combination of RSA and AES encryption algorithms to encrypt the victim's files. The RSA algorithm is used to encrypt the AES key, and the AES algorithm is used to encrypt the victim's files. The AES key is generated randomly for each victim and is stored on the attacker's server. But first you need to remove ransomware files and kill its processes. Below is an example of Niwm Ransomware ransom note, that it leaves on the desktop (_readme.txt). It's quite typical and remains almost the same with minor changes for several years.

Cylance is the name of a ransomware infection that targets Windows and Linux users. Users infected with this type of malware will no longer be able to access their data due to encryption. In addition, victims will also see the affected files modified with the .Cylance extension. After this, they will be no longer accessible and victims will have to follow decryption instructions in the generated ransom note (named CYLANCE_README.txt). Please note that Cylance Ransomware has nothing to do with Cylance by BlackBerry – legitimate enterprise cybersecurity solutions. In general, the ransom note says the victim's data has been encrypted and cybercriminals are the only holders of private keys that are able to decrypt it. To obtain this key and presumably software for running decryption, victims are instructed to contact the swindlers via e-mail and transfer money to them. The price is undisclosed and most likely calculated for each victim separately. Additionally, cybercriminals also offer to test decryption for free by sending one encrypted file. No matter how trustworthy cybercriminals seem, it is always advised against collaborating with them and paying the ransom. Many victims end up fooled and do not receive promised decryption tools. While this has not been reported to be the case with Cylance Ransomware, the risk exists nonetheless.

Fly.windguard.top is a malicious website that uses browser push notifications to display unwanted advertisements and redirect users to other potentially harmful websites. This type of malicious activity is commonly referred to as "browser push notification spam," where users are tricked into subscribing to notifications from a malicious website, and then receive unwanted ads and pop-ups even when they are not actively browsing the website. These notifications can be difficult to remove and can disrupt the user's browsing experience. To remove Fly.windguard.top and stop the unwanted push notifications, users may need to adjust their browser settings and remove any suspicious subscriptions. When visiting a new website, users should pay attention to any pop-ups or prompts asking them to subscribe to push notifications. They should carefully read the prompt and only agree to receive notifications from trusted websites. If they mistakenly subscribe to notifications from a malicious website like Fly.windguard.top, they can remove the subscription by going to their browser settings and disabling notifications for the offending website. Use detailed instructions on this page to remove Fly.windguard.top ads and pop-ups from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.

Nifr Ransomware, being a part of STOP Ransomware (DjVu Ransomware) family, is an elaborate encryptor virus, that encrypts user's files and makes them inaccessible. Malware uses an unbreakable AES (Salsa20) encryption algorithm, and decryption is only possible in 2-3% of cases. It first generates a unique AES-256 encryption key for each file it encrypts, which is used to encrypt the file's contents. This process is known as symmetric encryption, as the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt the file. After encrypting the file with the AES-256 key, Nifr Ransomware then encrypts the AES-256 key with an RSA-1024 public key, which is included in the ransomware's code. This process is known as asymmetric encryption, as it uses different keys for encryption and decryption.Recent version of STOP Ransomware adds following suffix or extension: .nifr. Corresponding virus variation received names: Nifr Ransomware. After encrypting, the ransomware creates _readme.txt file, that specialists call "ransom note", and below you can get acquainted with the contents of this file. The note contains instructions on how to contact the ransomware operators and pay the ransom in order to receive the decryption key. The ransomware is typically distributed through spam emails, fake software updates, and software cracks/keygens. It is important to note that paying the ransom is not recommended, as it encourages the criminals and there is no guarantee that the decryption key will be provided.

Bigcaptchahere.top is a malicious website that uses push notifications to bombard users with unwanted ads, pop-ups, and notifications. Bigcaptchahere.top exploits push notifications to deliver unwanted ads and pop-ups to users even when they are not browsing the web. Once the user enables push notifications on their device, the site sends a steady stream of notifications containing ads, links, and other spam content. This technique allows the site's creators to monetize their traffic by generating revenue from ad clicks and by redirecting users to affiliate websites. The notifications can be highly intrusive and difficult to disable, leading to a frustrating and disruptive user experience. In some cases, Bigcaptchahere.top may also install malware on the user's device, leading to further damage and potentially compromising sensitive information. The website is usually promoted through various deceptive tactics such as fake software updates, free downloads, or by using social engineering tactics to trick users into visiting the site. Once the user visits the site, they are prompted to enable push notifications to access the site's content. Once the user accepts, the site starts displaying unwanted push notifications on their desktop, mobile phone or tablet. Follow our guide below to remove Bigcaptchahere.top ads and notifications from Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS.