DZEN Ransomware 🔐 (.DZEN File) — Removal Guide

The Dzen virus falls under the Phobos ransomware family. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, leaving the info.txt files in each folder containing encrypted files.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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What is known about the Dzen virus?

☝️ Dzen is a Phobos family ransomware-type virus.

The renaming will be executed according to the following pattern: .dzen. After the encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3536].[vinsulan@tutamail.com].dzen”.

In every directory containing the encoded files, a info.txt file will be created. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this tool after contacting vinsulan@tutamail.com through email. That is it.

Dzen Summary:

The info.txt document coming in package with the Dzen ransomware states the following:

Your data is encrypted and downloaded!

Unlocking your data is possible only with our software.
Important! An attempt to decrypt it yourself or decrypt it with third-party software will result in the loss of your data forever.
Contacting intermediary companies, recovery companies will create the risk of losing your data forever or being deceived by these companies.
Being deceived is your responsibility! Learn the experience on the forums.

Downloaded data of your company.

Data leakage is a serious violation of the law. Don\'t worry, the incident will remain a secret, the data is protected.
After the transaction is completed, all data downloaded from you will be deleted from our resources. Government agencies, competitors, contractors and local media
not aware of the incident.
Also, we guarantee that your company\'s personal data will not be sold on DArkWeb resources and will not be used to attack your company, employees
and counterparties in the future.
If you have not contacted within 2 days from the moment of the incident, we will consider the transaction not completed.
Your data will be sent to all interested parties. This is your responsibility.

Contact us.

Write us to the e-mail:vinsulan@tutamail.com
In case of no answer in 24 hours write us to this e-mail:vinsulan@cock.li
Write this ID in the title of your message: -
If you have not contacted within 2 days from the moment of the incident, we will consider the transaction not completed.
Your data will be sent to all interested parties. This is your responsibility.


Do not rename encrypted files
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.

In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Dzen looks like. Each filename has the “.dzen” extension appended to it.

An example of encrypted .dzen files.

How did Dzen ransomware end up on my PC?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for evil-doers to have the Dzen virus settled in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer file transfer.

• If you access your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a harmful file attached to them. Thus it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your machine disguised as something different. For example, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some software. But what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful program that compromises your data. As the installation package can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to use the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers 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. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove ransomware?

It is important to note that besides encrypting your data, the Dzen virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Remove Dzen with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware

We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common Ransomware as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove Dzen as well as other malware hiding on your computer.

To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:

1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.

2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.

3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.

4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.

Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.

5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.

6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.

8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.

Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.

Trojan Killer for “Dzen” removal on locked PC

In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.

There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.

Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.

Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:

1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.

2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.

3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.

4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.

Step 2: Update Signature Databases:

5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.

6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.

Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:

7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.

8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.

9. Insert the USB flash drive.

10. Run tk.exe

11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.

Step 4: Remove Found Threats:

12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.

13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.

14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer:

15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.

16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.

Congratulations on effectively removing Dzen and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.

Sometimes criminals would decrypt several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption tool. As Dzen virus is a relatively recent ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decryption tools are frequently upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.

Understandably, if the tamperers succeed in encoding victim’s essential files, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After obtaining the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports about hackers simply disappearing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The best countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external drive. Obviously, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all started. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Dzen, that work similarly. Examples of those are Napoli, Elitte87, Hitobito, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Dzen are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in every directory containing encrypted files.

Some lucky victims were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-malware experts. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware infiltration?

Dzen ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your computer from its injection taking several easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (how can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A hoax email will always contain a mistake.
• Do not use cracked or unknown software. Trojans are often spreaded as an element of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable software, because trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware forums, but the best solution is not to use such software.
• And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect shield for your PC.

FAQ

🤔 Is it possible to open “.dzen” files?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.dzen” files are decrypted.

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.dzen” files ASAP. How can I do that?

If the “.dzen” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. The rest of the methods require patience.

🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Dzen virus?

No way! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.

With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your computer off the actual threats. The virus that has attacked your system is must be still active and it scans your system from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Dzen ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your system in the future.

🤔 What to do if the Dzen malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a flash memory card with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the cleaning. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or imported into your machine. To stop this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Many of the encoded files might still be within your reach

• If you exchanged your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to post those images back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try downloading them again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a portable device, cellphone, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can employ file recovery utilities² to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, deleting 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 antivirus program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2024.