Please carefully read this guide about NYPG ransomware, its removal methods and ways to recover files. Keep in mind that you must eliminate this malware as soon as possible and change all of your passwords immediately, as this ransomware installs AZORULT password-stealer on the system.
Information provided in _readme.txt
As mentioned previously, the virus creates ransom notes called _readme.txt to inform the victim about the cyber attack and explain possible way of recovering encrypted data. Unfortunately, to decrypt .nypg extension files, the criminals demand paying a ransom, a minimum of $490 if paid within 3 full days. If the victim decides to pay later, the price rises to $980. The only one priority of the criminals is to collect as many ransoms as possible. Therefore, they “kindly” suggest testing their decryption tool – the victim can send one small encrypted file to the provided emails and expect to receive a decrypted version in return. This mechanism is supposed to show the victim that it is “worth” paying the ransom. Unfortunately, we do not recommend paying the ransom, because cybercriminals cannot be trusted. FBI apparently doesn’t support ransom payments, either.
Why you should not pay the ransom to cybercriminals
There are a variety of reasons not to pay money for ransomware developers. First of all, if you decide to do so, the attackers will identify you as a potential victim who is willing to listen to their demands. Therefore, they might try to target you in the future. Second reason not to pay is the fact that paying the ransom supports cybercrime industry. Paying the ransom means funding cybercriminals’ projects, expanding their reach, which results in even more victims worldwide and more encrypted data. Final reason not to pay up is the fact that the criminals might never provide functioning decryption tools. Therefore, they will leave you with piles of encrypted data and without your hard-earned money. Your top priority after being infected with this virus is to remove NYPG ransomware and any other malware from the system. Use a trusted anti-malware for this. For repairing virus damage on the system, we suggest downloading RESTORO.
How ransomware affects your files
Victims of NYPG ransomware virus often question what happened to their personal files and what can be done to decrypt them. Here, we will explain exactly what happened and what your next steps should be. Authors of STOP/DJVU ransomware seem to be pretty skilled programmers, and therefore their virus’ code doesn’t contain noticeable flaws. As a result, there is no way for researchers to create a free decryption tool for NYPG or any other variant. This ransomware uses RSA encryption algorithm, which is known to be used to secure military-grade secrets. As a result, only the ones who have your encryption key will have a corresponding decryption key required for file recovery. In this situation, these tools are securely stored in cybercriminals’ servers. Once encrypted, files cannot be opened or manipulated, no matter which program the victims tries to use. The only 100% working way to recover these files is using a data backup, however, victims often find it useless as they do not have the habit of creating such backups on a regular basis. What we recommend doing now is removing NYPG virus using recommended software, and trying free decryption or file recovery tools recommended at the end of this article.
Ransomware distribution methods
NYPG ransomware is essentially similar to previous STOP/DJVU versions, and therefore it spreads via same distribution channels. The primary distribution tactic is to insert the ransomware into illegal downloads, for example, Adobe Photoshop cracks or other software activation tools (such as keygens). That said, we recommend you to avoid torrent-sharing websites at all. No matter if it is a game, movie torrent websites, or any other ones, inviting such files to your computer poses a great risk for your security, not to mention that you’re infringing someone else’s copyrights. Please remember that ransomware is an extremely popular malware that is frequently sold as a service on the dark web. RaaS model has severely impacted the distribution scope for extortion-type viruses.
Remove NYPG ransomware virus from Windows safely
Remove NYPG virus from your computer and get rid of all the malware it dragged into the system alongside it. The safest way to eliminate such malware is by starting the Windows in Safe Mode, and following professional security tips we provide below. Do not forget to repair your computer system after NYPG ransomware removal using recommended RESTORO software. It can revert damage caused on Windows OS system files, such as HOSTS file, and other important system components. Finally, do not forget to reset all your passwords for accounts saved in your browser, and report cybercrime incident to the correct authority (you can find a list of authorities based on your country of residence below.) OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.
Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking
Before you try to remove NYPG ransomware virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove NYPG ransomware virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.
Method 2. Use System Restore
In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.
Alternative software recommendations
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.
System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.
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Decrypt NYPG files
Fix and open large NYPG files easily:
It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.
STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide
STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. NYPG ransomware virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt NYPG files, follow the given tutorial.
Meanings of decryptor’s messages
The NYPG decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your NYPG extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.
Report Internet crime to legal departments
Victims of NYPG ransomware virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:
In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.
If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.