Usually, computer users install NPPH virus while browsing through questionable Internet websites, such as domains promoting peer-to-peer downloads (torrents). Once the victim opens a deceitful download, the encryption process starts and hides from the user by showing a fake Windows update screen. This way, users fail to identify the attack and do not try to stop the encryption. After it is finished, victims cannot open or use the data in any way. Now that victim’s files are locked, the virus drops ransom notes that are meant to provide the target with criminals’ demands and conditions that need to be fulfilled if the victim wants to get access to his/hers data again.

What happened to your files

NPPH virus uses a sophisticated encryption scheme to make your personal or work files inaccessible until you pay a ransom. To give you a better understanding of what happened, you must figure out what cryptography is. RSA is a popular and secure public-key cryptosystem used to transmit private data securely. The data is encrypted using an unique encryption key (public), and every victim gets assigned a private key, which works as a decryption key. That said, cybercriminals keep all victim’s private keys in their servers, and this is what they offer purchasing. Without these keys, decrypting .npph files can be a very lengthy and nearly impossible procedure.

Ransom note sends a threatening message

Following the file lockup, NPPH ransomware leaves a _Readme.txt file as a ransom note in every folder of the affected information. The message contains information about what happened to the data and explains — the only way to get it back is by paying up to the attackers. Cybercriminals insist on writing to them via provided emails to obtain further details on how to make the demanded transaction. They offer a 50% from the initial price of the decryption software if the victim agrees to pay within the first 72 hours of the infection. Keep in mind that the crooks try to gain user’s trust by offering to decrypt an unimportant file for free as proof that they have the necessary tools. Although, our experience shows that many attackers are merely paying with their victims and either keep blackmailing for more money or simply disappear after receiving the payment. Thus, you should rather remove NPPH ransomware virus than deal with untrustworthy crooks.

The virus brings a password-stealing Trojan alongside

While file encryption might seem like the worst feature of this crypto-malware, it also installs an AZORULT password stealer just like its other versions (COPA, OGDO, GENO, KASP, BOOP, NORD). This dangerous Trojan acts as a hidden tool to gather credentials from every site user tries to log into. The collected passwords, emails, and other sensitive data are then transmitted to a remote server that is accessed by hackers only. Furthermore, NPPH virus tries to modify Windows hosts file to prevent people from accessing security websites. Many regular computer users are unable to search for help online as the connection to the IT support sites is blocked. Likewise, victims become intimidated and agree to pay the ransom easier. Such techniques allow cybercriminals to successfully continue their illegal activity and keep creating malware. However, you can circumvent the virus by booting your computer into Safe Mode with Networking. This way, the file-encrypting threat will not be able to interfere and you can safely download and install a professional antivirus to help you with NPPH ransomware removal. Our experts suggest using RESTORO. You can find a more detailed guide on how to start the elimination at the end of this article.

Threat Summary

Ransomware distribution vectors

File-encrypting NPPH virus continue to spread through the same distribution methods for quite some time. It is because users continue to make the same reckless actions and end up installing cyber threats themselves. Currently, the most effective way to distribute crypto-malware is to upload its executable on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. Cybercriminals employ disguise techniques to deliver their malicious programs. In simple terms, they upload the executable with an exchanged name of a famous and legitimate software, such as Adobe Flash Player. When people browse for cracks or keygens, they encounter such ransomware executables with fake names and download them by thinking they are not malicious. In reality, the majority of attempts to get software cracks lead to ransomware attacks. Furthermore, the crooks embed links to malware distribution sources into email letters and send them to an uncountable amount of accounts. They design the emails to look like bank statements or urges to update account details via the appended URL link. While the messages might seem legitimate, they are also very successful ransomware spread methods. Thus, monitor your inboxes and do not open unexpected emails from anyone.

Best ways to remove NPPH ransomware virus safely

Before you head straight to the file decryption part, you must first remove NPPH ransomware virus from your computer safely. File-encrypting viruses are the most dangerous cyber threats for regular computer users. Most of people are not experienced enough to deal with them on their own. Fortunately, security firms have created reliable and easy-to-use antivirus tools. You should download RESTORO to help you with NPPH ransomware removal. It is a professional malware elimination software that can also help you replace damaged Windows files to keep your computer’s performance at its peak afterward. Just install the security tool and run a full system scan to clean your device fully. If you are unable to download, install or run the software, try booting your computer into Safe Mode with Networking. You can find helpful insights with step-by-step guidelines at the end of this article. Once you complete the elimination, feel free to start recovering your files from backups or try alternative methods. 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 NPPH 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 NPPH 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 NPPH files

Fix and open large NPPH 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. NPPH 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 NPPH files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The NPPH 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 NPPH 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.

Victims of NPPH 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.