Tutorials

The Internet has not only become a great source of information but also a way to promote different products and services via so-called ads and popups in browsers which are quite ubiquitous. Whenever you enter a website you will see these widgets appearing on the right side of it. At the first glance, it may seem to be an absolutely user-friendly and fruitful feature for both customers and companies. However, not without flaws. In spite of what was mentioned above, there are some prodigies who learned how to integrate malware links to infect your computer and get access to your personal data. This may become very disastrous for most people because nobody wants to let intruders hijack your precious files or data. Even best-encrypted services like YouTube or Facebook get invaded by hackers so that people could easily click on ads due to the trust factor.

Recently, experts have observed the epidemic of the virus Boty Ransomware (a variant of STOP Ransomware or Djvu Ransomware). This malware appeared in April 2023. It is an encryption virus, that uses a strong AES-256 encryption algorithm to encrypt user files and makes them unavailable for use without a decryption key. Latest versions of this pest add .boty extensions to affected files. Boty Ransomware creates a special text file, that is called "ransom note" and named _readme.txt. In this text file, malefactors provide contact details, overall information about encryption, and options for decryption. The virus copies it on the desktop and in the folders with encrypted files. Malefactors can be contacted via e-mails: support@freshmail.top and datarestorehelp@airmail.cc.

Boza Ransomware is a new variant of the STOP/Djvu Ransomware that emerged in early April 2023. This ransomware adds the .boza extension to the encrypted files, making them inaccessible to the user. Like other ransomware variants, Boza Ransomware uses advanced encryption algorithms to lock files, demanding a ransom in exchange for the decryption key. The ransomware targets a wide range of files, including documents, images, videos, audios, and other user data. Once the ransomware infects a computer, it scans the entire system for files and encrypts them using the AES-256 encryption algorithm, making them inaccessible. The ransomware also drops a ransom note called _readme.txt, providing instructions for the user to pay the ransom to the attacker in exchange for the decryption key. The attackers also use a unique encryption key for each infected system, making it difficult for security researchers to develop a universal decryption tool.

Kiop Ransomware is another representative of STOP/Djvu virus, that has been tormenting users since 2017. This particular version was released in the beginning of April 2023 and adds .kiop extension to all encrypted files, as can be seen from its name. Other than that, it's the same file-encypting and ransom-demanding virus as hundreds of its predecessors. Ransomware of this type uses the same cryptography, that is, unfortunately, still undecryptable. Kiop Ransomware, like other variants of STOP/Djvu Ransomware, typically uses a combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms to encrypt the victim's files. Specifically, the ransomware uses AES-256 encryption to encrypt the victim's files symmetrically, and then uses RSA-2048 encryption to encrypt the AES encryption key asymmetrically. This means that the attacker holds the private RSA key needed to decrypt the AES encryption key, and therefore can decrypt the victim's files after receiving payment.The only things that change during last years are extension and contact e-mail addresses. The name of the ransom note remains unchanged (_readme.txt) and you can check the content in the text box below.

Skylock is a new ransomware variant originating from the MedusaLocker family. Upon successful infiltration, the virus encrypts access to files (based on AES and RSA cryptography) and assigns the .skylock extension to them. For instance, a file like 1.pdf will change to 1.pdf upon successful encryption. To reverse the damage and return the blocked data, cybercriminals present decryption instructions inside the How_to_back_files.html file. In general, victims are told they need to purchase special decryption software from cybercriminals behind the infection. To do so, they have to establish contact with the extortionists using one of the communication channels (either via the link in the TOR browser or provided e-mail addresses). It is also said victims can send 2–3 files that do not contain any important information and get them back decrypted for free. This is to prove that threat actors are actually capable of decrypting the files. Should victims refuse to get in touch with the extortionists and pay for decryption, their data will be leaked to public resources, which may incur reputational damage to the users' company or personal identity. Unfortunately, despite the fact that decryption can be unaffordable or needless for some users, cybercriminals are usually the only figures able to decrypt access to data.

If your files became unavailable, unreadable, and got .kiwm extensions it means your computer is infected with Kiwm Ransomware (variation of STOP Ransomware or as it is, sometimes, called DjVu Ransomware). It is a malicious program that belongs to the group of ransomware viruses. This particular version was released in the beginning of April 2023. This virus can infect almost all modern versions of the operating systems of the Windows family, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and the latest Windows 11. The malware uses a hybrid encryption mode and a long RSA key, which virtually eliminates the possibility of selecting a key for self-decrypting files. Like other similar viruses, the goal of Kiwm Ransomware is to force users to buy the program and key needed to decrypt files that have been encrypted. The version, that is under research today, is almost identical to the previous ones, except for new e-mails used for contacting malefactors and new extensions added.

When trying to launch certain games or programs, users may encounter a message stating that the system is unable to find the vulkan-1.dll file, or that it is missing from the computer. Vulkan-1.dll is part of the Vulkan Runtime Libraries, which can be used in various games for Windows 11, 10, or 7. Usually, games containing this file are based on engines from Valve. Thus, it is more common to see this error while launching games from Steam. Below, we will show you a couple of ways to potentially restore the missing vulkan-1.dll file and remove the error respectively. As a rule, the Vulkan Runtime Libraries package is supplied and installed with video card drivers by default. However, if the drivers were automatically installed by the system, it is recommended that users manually download-install the latest drivers from the official websites of Nvidia GeForce, AMD Radeon, and Intel. After doing so, the missing file should be restored to the correct locations to start the problematic game/program.

Failed to locate Framework.dll is a kind of message that users may face while trying to launch or even install some program. The issue indicates that the Framework.dll (Microsoft.Build.Framework.dll) file could not be located by the program to run correctly. DLL files are tied to certain programs/games and play an important role in making sure the software launches and runs correctly. When one of the files becomes corrupted or missing, the associated program can run into a fault at the early start or later down the road. The most common reasons for the "Failed to locate Framework.dll" error have been reported to be damaged/missing system files, a program corruption, disabled .NET Framework, and other possible causes. Below, we have compiled a couple of solutions that will most likely alleviate the issue and help you launch and use the necessary program without previously experienced issues. The first thing we advise to begin with is to check whether there are any missing files within the system. To do this, you can use SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) utilities, which will detect and restore absent components if any will be eventually found. Make sure to use both utilities as they may have a different impact on solving the problem.