SBU Ransomware 🔐 (.SBU File) — Removal Guide

The Sbu virus belongs under the Dharma ransomware family. Ransomware of this type encrypts all the data on your computer (images, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc). It adds its extra extension to every file, leaving the info.txt files in each folder containing encrypted files.

What is SBU virus?

☝️ A scientifically accurate description for the Sbu is “a Dharma family ransomware-type infection”.

This pattern will execute the renaming: .SBU. After the encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be renamed to “report.docx.id-12345678.[[email protected]].sbu”.

In each directory with the encrypted files, a info.txt file will be created. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information about contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. You can get this decrypting software after contacting [email protected], [email protected] via email. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Sbu outline:

The info.txt file accompanying the Sbu ransomware states the following:

all your data has been locked us
You want to return?
write email [email protected] + [email protected]

In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Sbu looks like. Each filename has the “.SBU” extension added to it.

How did Sbu ransomware end up on my PC?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most popular ways for hackers to have ransomware working in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.

If you open your inbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a ransomware item attached to them. So it is even riskier to download 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. We suggest that you use 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 done.

How do I get rid of the Sbu virus?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Sbu virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your PC to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The program can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Sometimes tamperers would decrypt a few of your files, so you know that they indeed have the decryption program. Since Sbu virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures developers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decryption instruments are constantly upgraded, so the solution may soon arrive.

Sure thing, if the hackers do the job of encoding the victim’s essential files, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. However, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may send the wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports of malefactors just vanishing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.

The optimal solution against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or copies of your essential files in the cloud storage or at least on an external disk. Obviously, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that one 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 anti-malware utility after the system is rolled back.

Sbu is not the only ransomware of its kind, since other specimens of ransomware act in the same manner. For instance, Uyit, Maos, Mbtf, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Sbu are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become blocked, their extensions changed, and ransom notes are found in every folder containing encoded files.

Some fortunate people were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the criminals accidentally send the decoding key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary failure allows the injured part to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake. Ransomware is a criminal’s technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How to avert ransomware infiltration?

Sbu ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can armour your PC from ransomware attack taking several easy steps:

• Never open any emails from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the questionable email with caution. A fake email will surely have a mistake.
• Do not use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information on this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best solution is not to use such software.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft³

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”.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Can I somehow access “.SBU” files?

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

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.SBU” 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. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 What should I do if the Sbu malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.

🤔 What could help the situation right 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 might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to post those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try to do it again.
• Your messengers, social media 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 portable device, phone, external storage, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery programs⁵ to get your lost data back since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the ransomware itself with an antivirus 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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