Nusm Ransomware from the STOP Djvu Ransomware Family Charges Victims Up to $980 for Decryption
Scammers are always looking for new ways to steal from their victims. After all, as technology evolves, so do the ways criminals can make a quick buck. Ransomware remains one of the more prolific trends in cybercrime. It is a type of malware that renders victims’ files unusable until they pay the ransom. Among the groups operating ransomware strains, one of the most prominent is the STOP Djvu family, and it seems every week we are covering another variant within the group.
Most of the strains operate similarly, only distinguished by their unique four letter labeling. Nusm Ransomware is another addition to the group, and like the other variants, it mostly spreads via spam and compromised websites.
Nusm Ransomware’s operators lock their victim’s critical data and then demand a ransom payment in exchange for file decryption. The affected file types include photos, music, documents, and videos.
Nusm Ransomware appends affected files with the ‘.nusm’ suffix and drops a ransom note on the user’s desktop in the form of the ‘_readme.txt‘ document. The ransom note, which asks the victim to pay $490 for file decryption, also provides the victim with contact information to communicate with ransomware operators.
Should you contact the ransomware operators through the emails provided, helpteam@mail.ch and helpmanager@airmail.cc, they will ask you to send one locked file to be decrypted for free as proof that the ransomware operators can unlock the victim’s files upon the ransom payment. The addresses can also be used to communicate with the perpetrators, but, as we always tell you, this is not advisable – they will not help you for free. Paying does not guarantee that you will ultimately see your files decrypted or even receive any decryption tools.
The Nusm ransomware ransom note reads as follows: ATTENTION! Don’t worry, you can return all your files! All your files like pictures, databases, documents and other important are encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key. The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you. This software will decrypt all your encrypted files. What guarantees you have? You can send one of your encrypted file from your PC and we decrypt it for free. But we can decrypt only 1 file for free. File must not contain valuable information. Price of private key and decrypt software is $980. Discount 50% available if you contact us first 72 hours, that’s price for you is $490.
Unfortunately, there is no free decryptor available for Nusm Ransomware at the moment. The only reliable way to recover files is to restore them from a backup or use alternative data recovery options. Although the hackers behind Nusm Ransomware promise to provide a decryptor in exchange for payment in Bitcoin, it is likely that you may pay and never receive the decryption tool.
The key point to remember when protecting yourself from such ransomware strains like Nusm Ransomware is to keep backups of your valuable files. This way, even if you are infected with ransomware, your files can be reuploaded to another device. It is strongly recommended that you employ a reputable anti-malware tool to remove Nusm Ransomware from your system.
