Tutorials

New wave of STOP Ransomware infection continues with Qowd Ransomware, that appends .qowd extensions. STOP Ransomware was first detected in 2018 and has since evolved into one of the most prevalent types of ransomware. Those ".qowd" extensions are added to encrypted files in the end of February 2023. This tricky virus uses the AES encryption algorithm to encode users' important information. As a rule, Qowd Ransomware attacks photos, videos, and documents - data, that people value. The malware developers extort ransom and promise to provide a decryption key in return. Full decryption of lost data is possible in a minority of cases, if an offline encryption key was used, otherwise, use instructions on the page to recover enciphered files. The ransomware also creates a ransom note (_readme.txt) that informs the victim about the attack and demands payment in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies in exchange for the decryption key.

In this guide, we will cover a number of ways to update graphics drivers (and other drivers) on Windows 11 – both manually and automatically with the help of third-party software like Driver Booster. Keeping drivers updated is a crucial task that should be on the list of each user working on any Windows version. Graphics drivers, which are especially important for ensuring better and flawless performance in video games, thus deserve a significant reason for getting updated. Although our guide is dedicated specifically to updating graphics drivers, some presented instructions can be equally used for keeping other drivers up-to-date as well. The guidelines are also quite similar to other Windows versions with only slight differences, so feel free to use them there as well. With that said, let's explore the alternatives to update your drivers down below.

Iotr Ransomware (sometimes called STOP Ransomware or DjVu Ransomware) is a wide-spread encryption virus, that first appeared in December 2017. Since then, lots of technical and design changes took place, and a few generations of malware changed. Ransomware uses the AES-256 (CFB-mode) encryption algorithm to encode user's files, and after this last version (appeared in the end of February 2023) appends .iotr extensions. After encryption, virus creates a text file _readme.txt, which is called "ransom note", where hackers disclose ransom amount, contact information, and instructions to pay it. STOP Ransomware with .iotr file extensions use following e-mails: support@freshmail.top and datarestorehelp@airmail.cc, just like dozens of its predecessors.

Kangaroo is a ransomware infection released by developers behind earlier file-encryptors, such as Apocalypse, Fabiansomware, and Esmeralda. Although this file-encryptor was actively circulating in 2021, some users may still end up penetrated by it these days. The purpose of malware within this category is to encrypt potentially important data and extort money for decryption from victims. The feature that makes Kangaroo stand out among other common ransomware infections is that it configures registry values to display a ransom message prior to entering the Windows log-in screen. Immediately after logging into the system, it also displays a fake screen with the same ransom message but this time with a dedicated field for inserting a password to unlock it. During encryption, Kangaroo also assigns the .crypted_file extension and creates identical ransom messages in form of text notes. Such text notes get created additionally to each encrypted file and are named based on the post-encryption file's name (like here 1.pdf.crypted_file.Instructions_Data_Recovery.txt).

Ioqa Ransomware (a.k.a. STOP Ransomware or Djvu Ransomware) is an extremely dangerous virus that encrypts files using AES-256 encryption algorithm and adds .ioqa extensions to affected files. The infection mostly involves important and valuable files, like photos, documents, databases, e-mails, videos, etc. Ioqa Ransomware does not touch system files to allow Windows to operate, so users will be able to pay the ransom. If the malware server is unavailable (computer is not connected to the Internet, remote hackers' server does not work), then the encryption tool uses the key and identifier that is hard-coded in it and performs offline encryption. In this case, it will be possible to decrypt the files without paying the ransom. Ioqa Ransomware creates _readme.txt file, that contains ransom message and contact details, on the desktop and in the folders with encrypted files. Developers can be contacted via e-mail: support@freshmail.top and datarestorehelp@airmail.cc.

Mikel Ransomware is a malicious infection designed to encrypt personal data and extort money for its decryption. It is also identified as a new variant of another file-encryptor named Proxima. During encryption, Mikel Ransomware assigns the .mikel extension to highlight the change. For instance, a file like 1.pdf will change to 1.pdf.mikel and reset its original icon. Please note that deleting the assigned extension from the encrypted file will not return access to it. Encryption makes data permanently locked and requires decryption keys to unlock it. After the encryption is complete, the virus creates the Mikel_Help.txt text note with instructions regarding decryption.

MoUSO Core Worker Process (MoUsoCoreWorker.exe) is a Windows service responsible for managing the sequence on which updates are downloaded and installed onto the operating system. In other words, it helps Windows determine which update will be installed in the first order. As a rule, this service gets itself running only when scanning for updates. However, in certain cases, users may see it continue its operation for an extended period of time for no obvious reason. As a result, this may lead to higher consumption of CPU, RAM, or/and Disk usage, making your computer laggier and slower to use even for simple tasks. The most popular causes for the unusual behavior of the MoUSO Core Worker Process are that it or other update-related services could become temporarily bugged, there are pending updates, or, in rarer cases, your system is infected with malware that mimics the MoUSO Core Worker (MoUsoCoreWorker.exe) process. Follow our guide below and try all the suggested methods to potentially resolve the high memory/CPU/disk usage. Note that instructions in our guide were made on the basis of Windows 11, keep in mind that they may vary slightly on Windows 10.

STOP Ransomware is a sophisticated encryption virus, that uses the Salsa20 algorithm to encode sensitive personal data, such as photos, videos, and documents. The latest version (Iowd Ransomware), appeared in the middle of February 2023, adds .iowd extension to files and makes them unreadable. To date, the family includes about more than 600 representatives, and the total number of affected users is approaching a million. Most of the attacks are in Europe and South America, India, and Southeast Asia. The threat also affected the United States, Australia, and South Africa. Although the Iowd virus is less known than GandCrab, Dharma, and other ransomware trojans, it is this year that accounts for more than half of the detected attacks. Moreover, the next rating participant, the aforementioned Dharma, lags behind him by this indicator by more than four times. A significant role in the prevalence of STOP Ransomware is played by its diversity: in the most active periods, experts found three or four new versions daily, each of which hit several thousand victims.