The Non virus belongs to the Phobos ransomware family. Malware of this type encrypts all the data on your computer (images, text files, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, creating the info.txt files in each folder with the encrypted files.
What is Non virus?
☝️ A scientifically correct designation for the Non is “a Phobos family ransomware-type malicious agent”.
The renaming will be done according to the following pattern: victim’s_ID.contact_email.Non. During the encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3268].[[email protected]].Non”.
In each folder that contains the encrypted files, a info.txt file will be found. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on 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 racketeers. You can obtain this decoding tool after contacting [email protected] by email. That is it.
Non outline:
| Name | Non Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Phobos ransomware |
| Extension | .Non |
| Ransomware note | info.txt |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Detection | Trojan:Win32/FormBook.RR!MTB, Ransom:Win32/Cerber, Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Wanna.apno |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .Non extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Non virus |
The info.txt file coming in package with the Non malware provides the following discouraging information:
!!!All of your files are encrypted!!! To decrypt them send e-mail to this address: [email protected]. If we don\'t answer in 24h., send e-mail to this address: [email protected]
In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Non looks like. Each filename has the “.Non” extension appended to it.
An example of encrypted .Non files.
How did Non ransomware end up on my PC?
There are many possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
There are currently three most popular methods for malefactors to have ransomware working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer networks.
If you access your mailbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a malicious file enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
As for the peer networks like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. 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 anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How to remove the Non virus?
It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Non virus will most likely install the Azorult Spyware on your PC to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware3 can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Sometimes racketeers would decrypt several of your files so you know that they really have the decryption program. As Non virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the decoding instruments are constantly upgraded, so the solution may soon arrive.
Sure thing, if the tamperers succeed in encrypting victim’s critical files, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. However, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports of criminals simply vanishing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.
The best countermeasure to 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 storage. Obviously, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.
Non is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. For instance, Zfdv, Bbyy, Bbzz, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Non are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes appear in every directory containing encoded files.
Some fortunate people were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware experts. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decoding key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How сan I avert ransomware infection?
Non ransomware has no superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can armour your PC from ransomware attack within several easy steps:
- Never open any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the questionable email with caution. A hoax email will surely contain a mistake.
- Do not use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as an element of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. But dubious programs are very hard to tell from trustworthy ones, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. You can try to find information on this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such software.
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
🤔 Is it possible to open “.Non” files?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.Non” files first. Then you will be able to open them.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.Non” files ASAP. How can I do that?
It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. 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.
🤔 What should I do if the Non ransomware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.
🤔 And what should I do now?
Some of the encrypted data can be found elsewhere.
- If you sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You may have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Just ask them to post those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
- It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, mobile, memory stick, etc.
HINT: You can use file recovery programs6 to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the virus with an anti-malware program.
Also, you can contact the following official 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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