The Diamond virus falls within the ransomware type of malicious agent. Malware of such sort encrypts all the data on your computer (photos, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and appends its extra extension to every file, leaving the HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT files in each folder containing encrypted files.
Diamond virus: what is known so far?
☝️ A strictly accurate denomination for the Diamond is “a ransomware malicious agent”.
The pattern of renaming is the following: .diamond. The file name is then changed to a random string. After the encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “DQoncqiou19H-cBCjhawy1b9c8173bKJACIU1=cnqiH.diamond”.
In each directory that contains the encoded files, a HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT text document will be created. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting diamondprotonmail.com@proton.me by email. That is basically the scheme of the felony.
Diamond abstract:
| Name | Diamond Virus |
| Extension | .diamond |
| Ransomware note | HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT |
| Contact | diamondprotonmail.com@proton.me |
| Detection | UDS:Trojan-Ransom.Win32.PolyRansom, Win64/Expiro.DR, Win32/Packed.BlackMoon.A suspicious |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .diamond extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Diamond virus |
The HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT document accompanying the Diamond ransomware states the following:
ALL YOUR DATA IS ENCRYPTED MILITARY ENCRYPTION ! Your PERSONAL id - If you want to get a decoder, you need to pay ! We only accept bitcoins ! With your mail diamondprotonmail.com@proton.me we can decrypt 2 files proof of ! send us the id that is written in the ransom letter ! write id which is listed in the ransom note ! The price will be doubled in 72 hours !
In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Diamond looks like. Each filename has the “.diamond” extension added to it.
Diamond ransomware – encrypted .diamond files
How did my machine catch Diamond ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
There are currently three most popular methods for evil-doers to have the Diamond virus working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer file transfer.
If you open your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is unknown to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a ransomware item enclosed in them. Thus it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus scheme1. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your computer disguised as something else. For example, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encodes your data. Since the installation package can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.
How to remove the Diamond virus?
It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Diamond virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your computer to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Sometimes criminals would decode several of your files so you know that they really have the decryption tool. Since Diamond virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures designers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decryption instruments are constantly updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.
Understandably, if the hackers succeed in encoding victim’s essential data, the hopeless person will most likely comply with their demands. Despite that, paying to criminals gives no guarantee that you’re getting your data back. It is still dangerous. After receiving the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports of malefactors simply vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.
The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud drive or at least on an external disk. Obviously, that might be not enough. Your most crucial thing could be that file you were working upon when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the system is rolled back.
There are other ransomware products, besides Diamond, that work similarly. Examples of those are Tury, Adlg, Tuow, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Diamond are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become blocked, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in every folder containing encoded files.
Some fortunate victims were able to decode the arrested files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware developers. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decryption key to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a bandits’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.
How сan I avert ransomware infiltration?
Diamond ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.
You can protect your system from its injection within three easy steps:
- Never open any emails from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (how can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious letter with caution. A hoax email will always contain a mistake.
- Never use cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often distributed as a part of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. But dubious programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. You can try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best solution is not to use such programs at all.
- And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect defense for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your PC.
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your PC for Diamond infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 Can I somehow access “.diamond” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.diamond” files are decrypted.
🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?
Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. The rest of the methods require patience.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Diamond virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
Absolutely not! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with active viruses. The ransomware that has infected your system is most likely still active and it scans your system from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has been said above, the Diamond malware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide malefactors with easy access to your computer after some time.
🤔 What should I do if the Diamond ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, you need to have a memory stick with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your system. To stop this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 And what should I do now?
Some of the encrypted files can be found elsewhere.
- If you sent or received your critical files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
- You may have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Just ask them to give those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them again.
- Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud disks might have all those files as well.
- It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, phone, external storage, etc.
HINT: You can employ file recovery programs4 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the virus with an anti-malware program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental fraud and scam sites to report this attack:
- In the United States: On Guard Online;
- In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
- In the United Kingdom: Action Fraud;
- In Australia: SCAMwatch;
- In New Zealand: Consumer Affairs Scams;
- In France: Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information;
- In Germany: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik;
- In Ireland: An Garda Síochána;
To report the attack, you can contact local executive boards. For instance, if you live in USA, you can have a talk with FBI Local field office, IC3 or Secret Service.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove DIAMOND Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: DIAMOND Virus
Description: DIAMOND Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .diamond extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
