How to delete Qqqe ransomware

Qqqe ransomware is yet another file-encrypting malware from the Djvu/STOP ransomware family. It’s a dangerous malware infection that will encrypt personal files and demand money in exchange for their decryption. It’s fairly typical ransomware, though that does not mean it’s not dangerous. Once files are encrypted, you will not be able to open them unless you first decrypt them using a special decryptor. Unfortunately, the only people who have it are the cybercriminals operating this ransomware. They will try to sell it to you for $980. We do not recommend paying because of the reasons that will be explained below.

 

 

The cybercriminals from the Djvu/STOP gang release ransomware on a regular basis. Qqqe ransomware is one of the more recent ones but other versions include Yoqs, Qqqw, Maak, Vfgj, and hundreds of others. Like all malware of this kind, Qqqe ransomware targets files that users find more important. That’s usually photos, videos, documents, etc. In most cases, encrypted files can be recognized by the extensions that ransomware adds to them. In this particular case, encrypted files will have .qqqe added to them. For example, image.jpg would become image.jpg.qqqe. You will not be able to open any files with this extension unless you use a decryptor on them. A free decryptor is not currently available, though the cybercriminals operating this ransomware will try to sell it to you.

How you can acquire the decryptor is explained in the _readme.txt ransom note that gets dropped in all folders containing encrypted files once file encryption is done. The note is the same one dropped by other ransomware from this malware family. It explains that your files have been encrypted and how you can purchase the decryption tool. Unfortunately, the cybercriminals operating this ransomware are selling the decryptor for $980. The note also mentions a 50% discount for users who contact the criminals within the first 72 hours. Whether the discount is legitimate or not, paying the ransom has risks. If you do not have other options, buying the decryptor may be a tempting offer but you need to keep in mind that you are dealing with cybercriminals. There are no guarantees that you’ll get the decryptor considering that these crooks can just take your money. It’s doubtful they will feel any kind of obligation to help you, even if you pay. It has, unfortunately, happened to many victims in the past.

The best way to fight ransomware is to back up your files regularly. If you already have this habit and can find copies of your files in a backup, you shouldn’t have issues with recovering files. But before you can access your backup, you need to fully remove Qqqe ransomware from your computer. It’s highly recommended to use anti-virus software because ransomware is a very complex malware infection.

If you do not have a backup, file recovery will be much more difficult. You can try waiting for a free Qqqe ransomware decryptor, though whether it will be released is not certain. There is a free Djvu/STOP decryptor released by Emsisoft but it’s unlikely to work on Qqqe ransomware or other more recent versions. It’s difficult for malware specialists to help ransomware victims in some cases. Qqqe ransomware, for example, uses online keys when encrypting files. That means that all victims have unique keys. Unless those keys are released by the cybercriminals themselves or by law enforcement, it’s unlikely that a free decryptor will be released. However, it’s not impossible that the keys will be released eventually. So we would recommend backing up encrypting files and checking NoMoreRansom for a free decryptor.

How do users infect their computers with ransomware?

In most cases, users infect their computers with malware because of their bad browsing habits. If you open unsolicited email attachments without first checking them, download pirated content using torrents, click on ads when browsing questionable websites, etc., you have a much higher chance of picking up a malware infection.

A lot of torrent websites are usually quite badly regulated, and malicious actors take advantage of this. It’s very common to find malicious content in torrents for popular movies, TV series, video games, software, etc. For example, torrents for new Marvel movies usually have malware in them because of how popular those movies are. If users do not know the signs of malware in a torrent, they can easily end up with malware. Malware is one of the reasons why using torrents to pirate is not a great idea. And while you already know this, it’s worth mentioning that pirating copyrighted content is essentially stealing.

Emails with malicious attachments are also a common way users pick up malware. This is one of the reasons why it’s dangerous to open any unsolicited emails with attachments. It’s enough for users to open the attached files for the malware to initiate. Fortunately for users, these malicious emails are easily recognizable. They are full of grammar and spelling mistakes, are sent from questionable email addresses, address users with generic terms, and just generally seem off. Senders of malicious emails often claim to be emailing on behalf of companies whose services users use. But when those emails are full of grammar/spelling mistakes and address users with terms like User, Customer, Member, it becomes quite obvious that the emails aren’t actually legitimate.

But while the majority of malicious emails will be quite obvious, some campaigns can be more sophisticated. Thus, we recommend scanning all unsolicited email attachments with anti-virus software or VirusTotal before opening them.

Qqqe ransomware removal

Ransomware is a dangerous malware infection, which is why you should not attempt to delete Qqqe ransomware manually. Instead, use a reliable anti-malware program to do the job for you. If you try to do it manually, you might not fully remove the malware, which could allow it to recover later. And if you access your backup while ransomware is still present, your backed-up files would become encrypted as well. If you do not have a backup, we recommend you back up your encrypted files and wait for a free decryptor to become available.