Meanwhile, as the encryption is still going on, text notes referred to as _readme.txt would be forwarded to the affected folders. These notes are sent by the cybercriminals behind the attack and notify the victim about what has happened. They would brag that the attack was a huge success, and therefore the victim must pay a certain amount of money as ransom fees if they hope to recover their files. To allow for further discussions between both sides, they would also drop two email addresses, i.e., support@fishmail.top and datarestorehelp@airmail.cc.

Reasons why you should never pay a ransom to cybercriminals

However, we advise victims never to reach out to cybercriminals nor respond to them. From past experiences of other victims, nothing good ever comes out of any discussion with cybercriminals. They would promise to decrypt all encrypted files once the victim pays a ransom fee. But from our studies, they don’t seem to keep to their word – they disappear into thin air once ransom payment is made. This article will further discuss why it is very important for victims to ignore cybercriminals totally. Although the criminals responsible for STOP/DJVU attacks usually state that the ransom fee is $980, they would also add a caveat that victims who can pay on short notice can leverage their 50% discount. In other words, they are willing to accept only $490 from victims that can pay it within 72 hours or three days of being told to do so. However, if for any reason they couldn’t complete the transaction within that stipulated time, they would automatically nullify the ransom slash and insist on full payment. There are other bottlenecks the NURY ransomware victim also has to contend with; for instance, cybercriminals do not accept conventional payment methods such as money transfer or bank payment. Instead, they make it mandatory for their victim to make use of cryptocurrency. So, they would be told to purchase the cryptocurrency equivalence of the ransom fee quoted in the dollar and transfer it to a wallet address that would be provided by them. However, the FBI, as well as other globally recognized security organizations, has issued statements warning victims against complying with the monetary demands of cybercriminals. Here are some of the factors that were considered before making ransom payments illegal.

When victims pay the ransom, they enable cybercriminals to expand their operations, thereby becoming a threat to a greater number of people.It enriches criminals and encourages them to continue their criminal activities.Victims that pay a ransom are usually targeted again in the future because cybercriminals are greedy in nature and never satisfied.Ransom payment by victims makes criminality profitable, which serves as an incentive to those engaged in such illegal activities.

That said, we suggest that you remove NURY ransomware virus as soon as you can. You can find a detailed tutorial below this article on how to boot your PC in Safe Mode with Networking. Once you do that, use a trustworthy antivirus to delete malware remains for you. Our team’s top pick for Windows is INTEGO Antivirus.

Ransomware Summary

Ransomware in general

Cybercriminals continue to threaten the safe use of computers globally, especially with the release and spread of NURY ransomware virus developed by the STOP/DJVU group. As each new ransomware virus is released, it becomes expedient for computer users to take necessary steps that would ensure their PC and the files contained in them are protected. Award-winning antivirus solution for your PC. Robust security software that provides robust 24/7 real-time protection, Web Shield that stops online threats/malicious downloads, and Prevention engine that wards off Zero-Day threats. Keep your PC safe and protected against ransomware, Trojans, viruses, spyware and other forms of dangerous programs. The cybercriminals behind most of these damaging malware aim to extort huge sums of money from their unsuspecting victims. Therefore, they exploit a number of deceptive methods in their attempts to take their victims unaware. The latest versions of these ransomware viruses are easily triggered and also have a fast encryption pace. As a result, prevention remains the best way of protecting your computer. However, if a computer becomes infected, removing the virus as soon as possible is crucial to mitigate possible damages. In addition to the primary malware, cybercriminals equally use the opportunity to attack other dangerous Trojans, collectively known as Remote Access Trojans or RATs for short. The purpose is to use them to steal vital personal data like software login details, banking details, browsing history, etc.

Ransomware distribution methods used by cybercriminals

As stated earlier, there are a number of deceptive methods used by cybercriminals to take their victims unawares. The most common ones include the following:

Online torrent platforms

Cybercriminals understand that some software users prefer to avoid paying the fees requested by the original content producers. So they cunningly clone such tools, particularly the popular ones, embed them with malware, and then upload them to online torrent platforms. When intending users download them to their computer, they end up causing a ransomware attack.

Use of emails and attachments

P2P downloads

The safest way of getting needed software tools is by paying the necessary fees and downloading them from official sites endorsed by copyright owners. Trying to use P2P sharing devices is risky and can lead to the spread of viruses. As you can see, using any of these methods to download needed software tools is quite dangerous and can put your computer at risk. On the contrary, you’re better off going to the official websites of the original content owners to source for it. Whatever fees you may be asked to pay is adequate compensation for the copyright owners considering that a lot of resources must have been spent in the course of research and development of the software tool. Another important factor to consider is that popular files like XLS, PDF, and DOCX, including other similar ones, are now being exploited by cybercriminals as mediums for spreading malware. The macro properties available in these files are what they exploit to attach, transfer and trigger ransomware viruses in various computers. Based on that, it is very important for computer users to apply caution when such files appear in their inboxes or spam. Here is a list of notable software content often pirated and used by cybercriminals in spreading ransomware viruses:

Adobe Photoshop;Corel Draw;HP Printer Drivers;VMware Workstation;Microsoft Office;PES 20;Internet Download Manager;Cubase;League of Legends;Adobe Premiere Pro;AutoCad;Adobe Illustrator;Tenorshare 4ukey.

Remove NURY ransomware virus ASAP

You must remove NURY ransomware virus once it is detected in any computer to mitigate possible damages. We recommend using INTEGO Antivirus for successful malware removal. Additionally, you’re advised to ignore any websites that claim to offer decryption solutions because they’re mostly fraudulent. Here are other important steps you should take:

Change all passwords without delay.Use any available backup to restore lost files.Inform any relevant government agency close to you.

Most of all, ensure reliable antivirus software is installed and active on your computer at all times. 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 NURY 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 NURY 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.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt NURY files

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

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The NURY 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 NURY 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 NURY 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.