Remove Errz ransomware

Errz ransomware is a very generic malware infection that encrypts files. It’s essentially one of the more recent Djvu/STOP ransomware versions, though the versions are more or less identical to one another. If your files have been encrypted by Errz ransomware, your files will have .errz added to them. Unfortunately, you will not be able to open any files with this extension unless you first decrypt them using a special decryptor. But getting the decryptor is difficult because the only people who have it are the cybercriminals behind this ransomware infection. And since they’re looking to extort money from innocent victims, they’re not going to just give it to you for free. Instead, they will try to sell you the decryption tool for $980. But paying the ransom or even engaging with the cybercriminals comes with many risks that you need to be aware of if you’re thinking of paying the ransom.

 

 

Errz ransomware is more or less identical to Kruu, Xcvf, Sijr, Mine, and many more. They all belong to the same Djvu/STOP ransomware family, Errz ransomware is just one of the more recent releases. The main purpose of this ransomware is to encrypt personal files to essentially force users to pay money for their decryption. The targeted files are usually the same for all ransomware. They target photos, videos, images, documents, and all other personal files. It’s easy to tell which files were encrypted by the .errz extension added to them. For example, an encrypted image.jpg would become image.jpg.errz. You may also notice that while it’s encrypting files, the ransomware will show a fake Windows update window to distract users. Once it’s done, it will drop a _readme.txt ransom note in all folders that have encrypted files. In the note, you can find information on how you may be able to acquire the decryptor.

According to the note, the decryptor costs $980 but it’s supposedly possible to get a 50% discount if you make contact with the malware operators within the first 72 hours. However, keep in mind that there are no guarantees that you’ll get the decryptor, not to mention the discount. These are cyber criminals you are dealing with, and there are no guarantees that they will keep their end of the deal. Countless users in the past paid the ransom only to not get anything back in return. And if you did pay, the money would be used for future criminal activities. Whether to pay or not is your decision but you should carefully consider the risks. But it’s usually never recommended to pay the ransom.

If you do not have a backup but are also not planning on paying the ransom, your only option may be to wait for a free Errz ransomware decryptor to be released. You won’t find one at the moment but it may be released sometime in the future. If it does get released, it would be posted on NoMoreRansom. But because this ransomware uses online keys to encrypt files, it’s difficult for malware researchers to develop a decryptor. When ransomware uses online keys to encrypt files, the keys are unique to each victim. And those keys are necessary in order to develop a decryptor. You can try Emsisoft’s free Djvu/STOP decryptor but it’s unlikely to work because it only works to decrypt files for victims whose encryption keys Emsisoft has.

If you have copies of your files in a backup, you can start encrypting your files as soon as you remove Errz ransomware from your computer. We strongly recommend you use a reliable anti-malware program to delete Errz ransomware because manual removal can be tricky. If you miss something, the ransomware may be able to recover. And if you were connected to your backup when the ransomware recovered, your backed-up files would become encrypted. So it’s much safer to use anti-malware software.

How does ransomware infect a computer?

Ransomware that targets regular users is often spread via torrents, email attachments, and ads. If you have bad browsing habits, you are much more likely to pick up a malware infection because you engage in risky behavior. If you take the time to develop better habits and familiarize yourself with malware distribution methods, you should be able to avoid quite a few malware.

Because torrent sites are often poorly moderated, malicious actors have no trouble uploading torrents with malware in them. Many users like to pirate copyrighted entertainment content, which is why it’s very common to find malware in torrents for popular movies, TV series, video games, software, etc. We strongly suggest you avoid pirating not only because of this reason but also because it’s essentially stealing.

Malware is also often distributed via email attachments, so if your email address has been leaked in the past, you may receive emails with malware attached to them. It’s a pretty low-effort distribution method for malicious actors, which is why it’s so widely used. They purchase leaked email addresses from various hacker forums and spam those addresses with malicious emails. Fortunately, the emails are usually quite obvious. Senders pretend to be from legitimate companies and claim to be emailing with important business. However, the emails are full of grammar/spelling mistakes, which immediately give them away. When a legitimate company whose services you use sends you an email with an attachment, the email would not have obvious mistakes because they look unprofessional. Furthermore, legitimate emails would address you by name. Malicious emails, on the other hand, use generic terms like User, Member, Customer, etc., to address users because they do not know the names. However, some malicious spam emails may be more sophisticated, which is why it’s a good idea to scan all unsolicited email attachments with anti-virus software or VirusTotal before opening them.

How to remove Errz ransomware

As we said already, do not attempt to delete Errz ransomware manually because you could cause additional damage or not get rid of the ransomware fully. Instead, use anti-malware software. Once the ransomware has been fully deleted, you can safely connect to your backup and start recovering files. If you do not have a backup, you should back up your encrypted files and store them safely until a free Errz ransomware decryptor is released.