UIGD Ransomware Joins the Ever Growing STOP/Djvu Ransomware Family.
Since it was first discovered in 2018, the STOP/Djvu Ransomware family has released hundreds of variants, becoming one of the world’s most prominent ransomware groups. UIGD Ransomware was uncovered by malware researchers as yet another strain from the family. It is referred to as UIGD based on the .UIGD extension it uses to append infected files. The ransomware operates like other STOP/Djvu group variants and encrypts files before making a ransom demand.
UIGD Ransomware scans a victim’s computer to look for user-generated files. It then targets the files that contain valuable information, including databases, spreadsheets, archives, pictures, and videos. Additionally, the hackers behind UIGD Ransomware deliver a ransom note with the information about the ransomware and the hackers’ ransom demands.
The hackers behind UIGD Ransomware promise a decryption key to unlock the affected files in exchange for $980. However, they offer a 50% discount if victims establish communication within 72 hours after encryption. The ransom note also instructs users to contact the criminals via helpmanager@mail.ch or restoremanager@airmail.cc. UIGD Ransomware’s operators also offer to decrypt one file for free to show that they can unlock all the affected files should the victim end up paying.
How Do I Remove UIGD Ransomware from My Computer?
Although cooperating with hackers seems like an easy way out of the situation, we strongly advise victims not to engage and employ a reputable malware remediation program to scan for and remove UIGD Ransomware. To prevent data loss in the case of another ransomware attack, please consider backing up your data on an external hard drive or virtual cloud storage.
