STOP/Djvu Family Expands with the Qqqw Ransomware

Qqqw Ransomware is one of the latest STOP/Djvu Ransomware variants. It is being spread with the use of fake downloads, shady ads, and other misleading content. Many users have a false sense of safety when it comes to malware infections – they believe that they are careful enough, and that they cannot fall victim to such an attack. However, this is absolutely not true – you should not rely on your safe Web browsing habits to keep you safe from malware. Instead, you should invest in an extra line of defense by securing your system with an up-to-date antivirus tool.

The Qqqw Ransomware attack can leave many of your files in an inaccessible state, because it will encrypt their contents. Of course, the malware focuses on important and common file formats – documents, archives, images, etc. After it locks a file, it drops the ransom note '_readme.txt' on the desktop. Victims will also notice that their filenames were changed by adding the '.qqqw' suffix – a typical change for STOP Ransomware variants.

The ransom note tells victims of the Qqqw Ransomware to pay a ransom sum of $490 for the decryption utility. It also threatens them that the ransom fee will double unless they act immediately – a common fear tactic to convince victims to pay up. You should not accept the offer of Qqqw Ransomware's creators because they might still end up scamming you. Sending them the money does not guarantee a positive outcome – ransomware operators often do not respond to the victims who pay. Our advice is to run an antivirus scanner to assist with Qqqw Ransomware's removal, and then explore alternative data recovery options.