GPGQwerty Ransomware
The GPGQwerty Ransomware is an encryption ransomware Trojan. These threats are designed to take the victim's files hostage. To do that, the GPGQwerty Ransomware and similar threats will infiltrate the victim's computer and use a strong encryption algorithm that will render the victim's files inaccessible. Due to the strength of these encryption algorithms, which are available publicly, the encrypted files will be unrecoverable without the decryption key, which the cybercrooks hold in their possession. Essentially, the same technology that is used to keep your online communications private is being used by these people to take victims' files hostage. The GPGQwerty Ransomware and similar threats demand the payment of a ransom from the victim, threatening to withhold the decryption key and make the files inaccessible permanently. The best measures against the GPGQwerty Ransomware and similar threats is to take preventive measures, protecting your files by having file backups.
How the GPGQwerty Ransomware Attacks a Computer
The GPGQwerty Ransomware was first observed being used to carry out attacks on March 6, 2018. The GPGQwerty Ransomware is commonly delivered to victims through the use of unsafe email attachments and fake downloads online. These email attachments contain corrupted macros embedded, which download and install the GPGQwerty Ransomware onto the victim's computer. Once installed, the GPGQwerty Ransomware will take the victim's files hostage, using a strong encryption algorithm to make the victim's files unusable. The GPGQwerty Ransomware will scan the victim's computer in search for certain file types, generally the user-generated files, which may include music, video, audio, Office documents, and numerous other file types that are commonly used. You can recognize the files encrypted by the GPGQwerty Ransomware attack easily because the GPGQwerty Ransomware will add the file extension '.qwerty' to each affected file's name. The following are some of the file types that are commonly affected by threats like the GPGQwerty Ransomware (among others):
.3dm, .3g2, .3gp, .7zip, .aaf, .accdb, .aep, .aepx, .aet, .ai, .aif, .as, .as3, .asf, .asp, .asx, .avi, .bmp, .c, .class, .cpp, .cs, .csv, .dat, .db, .dbf, .doc, .docb, .docm, .docx, .dot, .dotm, .dotx, .dwg, .dxf, .efx, .eps, .fla, .flv, .gif, .h, .idml, .iff, .indb, .indd, .indl, .indt, .inx, .jar, .java, .jpeg, .jpg, .js, .m3u, .m3u8, .m4u, .max, .mdb, .mid, .mkv, .mov, .mp3, .mp4, .mpa, .mpeg, .mpg, .msg, .pdb, .pdf, .php, .plb, .pmd, .png, .pot, .potm, .potx, .ppam, .ppj, .pps, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx, .prel, .prproj, .ps, .psd, .py, .ra, .rar, .raw, .rb, .rtf, .sdf, .sdf, .ses, .sldm, .sldx, .sql, .svg, .swf, .tif, .txt, .vcf, .vob, .wav, .wma, .wmv, .wpd, .wps, .xla, .xlam, .xll, .xlm, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xlt, .xltm, .xltx, .xlw, .xml, .xqx, .xqx, .zip.
Dealing with a GPGQwerty Ransomware Infection
The GPGQwerty Ransomware will deliver a ransom note to the victim. The ransom note demands that the victim pay 0.1 Bitcoin (approximately one thousand dollars at the current exchange rate). The GPGQwerty Ransomware delivers its ransom note in the form of a text file named 'README_DECRYPT.txt,' which is dropped on the infected computer's desktop. The Bitcoin wallet associated with the GPGQwerty Ransomware attack is invalid, meaning that cybercrooks have not been capable of receiving payments related to the GPGQwerty Ransomware attack. However, this does not prevent the GPGQwerty Ransomware from carrying out its attack and compromising the victim's files. Unfortunately, once the GPGQwerty Ransomware encrypts a file, it is not possible to recover it without the decryption key. Because of this, the best protection against the GPGQwerty Ransomware is to have file backups stored on safe, outside devices. Threats like the GPGQwerty Ransomware themselves can be removed with a security program that is fully updated. However, security software is currently not capable of helping victims recover the files compromised by these encryption ransomware attacks.
