Stone Ransomware
The Stone Ransomware is recently uncovered data-encrypting Trojan. When cybersecurity experts dug deeper into it, they found out that the Stone Ransomware is a member of the family of the infamous STOP Ransomware. It is a common practice among authors of malware to base their threats on an already existing piece of malware instead of building it from scratch.
Malware researchers have not declared with certainty what the infection vector employed by the attackers is, but it is being speculated that the creators of the Stone Ransomware may be using the most common tricks to spread their threat – faux software updates, pirated content and mass spam email campaigns. When the Stone Ransomware penetrates a system, it will trigger a scan on the files. When the scan is completed, the Stone Ransomware would have located all the file, which it will later lock. Then, the Stone Ransomware begins the next step of the attack – the encryption process.
When the Stone Ransomware encrypts a file, it will alter its original name by adding its extension '.stone.' For example, if you had created a file named 'bunny.png,' when the encryption process of the Stone Ransomware is through, the file will be renamed to 'bunny.png.stone,' and you will no longer be capable of using it. Then, the Stone Ransomware takes the next step and drops its ransom note. The note goes by the name '_readme.txt' in compliance with most ransomware threats, which are variants of the STOP Ransomware. In the ransom message, the attackers fail to mention what the ransom fee is. Instead, they insist on being contacted on their email address – 'gorentos@bitmessage.ch.'
We would certainly recommend you to stay as far away as possible from cybercriminals. Usually, nothing good comes out of contacting such individuals. Instead, you should make sure to download and install a legitimate anti-spyware application and wipe the Stone Ransomware off your computer.
