GZGZQC Virus (.gzgzqc Files Ransomware)

The Gzgzqc virus belongs to the Snatch ransomware family. Harmful software of this type encrypts all the data on your PC (photos, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the HOW TO RESTORE YOUR FILES.TXT text files in every directory which contains the encrypted files.

Gzgzqc virus: what is known so far?

☝️ A scientifically correct designation for the Gzgzqc would be “a Snatch family ransomware-type malicious agent”.

Gzgzqc will append its extra .gzgzqc extension to every file’s title. For example, an image entitled “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.gzgzqc”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet named “table.xlsx” will become “table.xlsx.gzgzqc”, and so forth.

In every directory that contains the encrypted files, a HOW TO RESTORE YOUR FILES.TXT text file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the racketeers. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Gzgzqc summary:

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

How did Gzgzqc ransomware end up on my PC?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most popular ways for criminals to have the Gzgzqc virus planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer file transfer.

If you access your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is unknown to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a ransomware item attached to them. Thus it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.

As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrents or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.

How to remove the Gzgzqc virus?

It is important to note that besides encrypting your files, the Gzgzqc virus will probably install the Azorult Spyware on your PC to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware³ can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Sometimes racketeers would unblock several of your files to prove that they really have the decryption program. As Gzgzqc virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software developers have not yet found a way to undo its work. However, the decryption tools are constantly updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting someone’s critical files, the hopeless person will probably fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying a ransom gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After getting the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports about racketeers just disappearing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud disk or at least on an external disk. Surely, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that file you were working upon when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the OS is rolled back.

There are other ransomware products, besides Gzgzqc, that work similarly. For instance, Wdlo, Tuid, Udla, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Gzgzqc are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: files become encrypted, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in each folder containing encrypted files.

Some lucky people were able to decode the arrested files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decryption key to the wronged in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware attack?

Gzgzqc ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your PC from its infiltration within three easy steps:

• Never open any emails from unknown mailboxes 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 even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious email carefully. A hoax letter will always contain a mistake.
• Never use cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable ones, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information about this program on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such programs at all.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft⁴

Download Removal Tool.

Run the setup file.

Press “Install” button.

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

Click on “Clean Now”.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.gzgzqc” files?Is it possible to open“.gzgzqc” files?

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

🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. All other solutions require time.

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

🤔 And what should I do now?

Some of the blocked files can be located elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files by 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 images 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 storage might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, phone, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can employ file recovery programs⁶ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the video below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you remove 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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