Ncrypt Ransomware (2024)

What is Ncrypt?

Ncrypt is a ransomware-type malware designed to encrypt victims' files. It was first discovered by a security researcher Michael Gillespie.

During encryption, this malware appends a ".NCRYPT" extension to the name of each file. For instance, "sample.jpg" is renamed to "sample.jpg.NCRYPT". After encryption, Ncrypt creates a "_FILE_RETRIEVAL_INFORMATION.html" file (placed on the desktop) containing a ransom-demand message.

The HTML file informs victims of the encryption and states that files can only be restored using a unique key. It is currently unknown whether Ncrypt uses symmetric or asymmetric cryptography, however, regardless of this, the statement regarding decryption is valid. According to the HTML file, the decryption key is stored on remote servers controlled by cyber criminals.

To receive it victims are encouraged to pay a ransom of .2 Bitcoins (currently equivalent to approximately $128). Once this payment is submitted, victims must contact cyber criminals via an email address provided([email protected]).

The email message must contain the victim's ID (provided within the HTML file) in the subject, and the payer's Bitcoin address in the body. Once this information is provided, victims receive a decryption tool, a key, and instructions.

Payment must be submitted within the given time frame, otherwise the decryption key is deleted and it then becomes impossible to restore encrypted files. Unfortunately, there are no third party tools capable of restoring files compromised by Ncrypt - you can, thus, only restore your files and system from a backup.

Screenshot of a message encouraging users to contact the developers of Ncrypt ransomware to decrypt their compromised data:

There are hundreds of viruses similar to Ncrypt. Examples include Hades Locker, Odin, Princess, and Usr0.All encrypt files and make ransom demands. The only major differences are the encryption algorithm used (symmetric/asymmetric) and size of ransom, however, paying does not guarantee decryption of files.

Research shows that most cyber criminals ignore victims, despite payments made. Therefore, you should avoid contacting these people or paying any ransom. It is highly probable that you will be scammed. Ransomware is often distributed via peer-to-peer (P2P) networks (for example, Torrent), spam emails (infectious attachments), fake software updaters, and trojans.

Therefore, never download any files/software from unofficial sources. In addition, be very cautious when opening files received from unrecognized/suspicious email addresses. Keeping your installed software up-to-date and using a legitimate anti-virus/anti-spyware suite is also paramount.

Poor knowledge of these threats and rushing steps is often the reason for system infection. The key to computer safety is caution.

Ransom-demand message (presented in "_FILE_RETRIEVAL_INFORMATION.html" file):

Your Data Has Been Encrypted!
Your important files (photos, videos, documents,etc) have been encrypted with a secure key and are no longer usable.
The only way to restore your files is to purchase the unique encryption key.
To purchase the key, send 0.2 Bitcoin (Approx $120.00 USD ) to this Bitcoin address: 1BpLvMvHmGdWN6zJzDxLdNyCwX6Pgeq7VY
For information on how to send Bitcoin, see one of these links: QuickBT - easy way to send bitcoin , CoinJar , Getting Started With BitCoin
Once you have sent payment, send and EMAIL to [email protected] with the [victims ID] as the SUBJECT and the BitCoin transaction id as the BODY. Do not include other information, this email will not be read but will be processed by an automated system.
Once payment is confirmed, the Decryption Application, Decryption Key, and Decryption Instructions will be sent in an email (to the address that was used to send the Bitcoin Transaction ID). - the decryption application/key will restore your files.
There is no other way to recover your files, the encryption key is unique to your files and uncrackable.
WARNING! FAILURE TO PAY BY 10/14/2016 3:30:37 PM WILL RESULT IN THE DELETION OF THE ENCRYTPTION KEY, MAKING YOUR FILES COMPLETELY UNRECOVERABLE.

Screenshot of files encrypted by Ncrypt ransomware (".NCRYPT" extension):

Ncrypt ransomware removal:

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Video suggesting what steps should be taken in case of a ransomware infection:

Quick menu:

What is Ncrypt virus?
STEP 1. Reporting ransomware to authorities.
STEP 2. Isolating the infected device.
STEP 3. Identifying the ransomware infection.
STEP 4. Searching for ransomware decryption tools.
STEP 5. Restoring files with data recovery tools.
STEP 6. Creating data backups.

Reporting ransomware to authorities:

If you are a victim of a ransomware attack we recommend reporting this incident to authorities. By providing information to law enforcement agencies you will help track cybercrime and potentially assist in the prosecution of the attackers. Here's a list of authorities where you should report a ransomware attack. For the complete list of local cybersecurity centers and information on why you should report ransomware attacks, read this article.

List of local authorities where ransomware attacks should be reported (choose one depending on your residence address):

USA - Internet Crime Complaint Centre IC3
United Kingdom - Action Fraud
Spain - Policía Nacional
France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
Germany - Polizei
Italy - Polizia di Stato
The Netherlands - Politie
Poland - Policja
Portugal - Polícia Judiciária

Isolating the infected device:

Some ransomware-type infections are designed to encrypt files within external storage devices, infect them, and even spread throughout the entire local network. For this reason, it is very important to isolate the infected device (computer) as soon as possible.

Step 1: Disconnect from the internet.

The easiest way to disconnect a computer from the internet is to unplug the Ethernet cable from the motherboard, however, some devices are connected via a wireless network and for some users (especially those who are not particularly tech-savvy), disconnecting cables may seem troublesome. Therefore, you can also disconnect the system manually via Control Panel:

Navigate to the "Control Panel", click the search bar in the upper-right corner of the screen, enter "Network and Sharing Center" and select search result:

Identify the ransomware infection:

To properly handle an infection, one must first identify it. Some ransomware infections use ransom-demand messages as an introduction (see the WALDO ransomware text file below).

This, however, is rare. In most cases, ransomware infections deliver more direct messages simply stating that data is encrypted and that victims must pay some sort of ransom. Note that ransomware-type infections typically generate messages with different file names (for example, "_readme.txt", "READ-ME.txt", "DECRYPTION_INSTRUCTIONS.txt", "DECRYPT_FILES.html", etc.). Therefore, using the name of a ransom message may seem like a good way to identify the infection. The problem is that most of these names are generic and some infections use the same names, even though the delivered messages are different and the infections themselves are unrelated. Therefore, using the message filename alone can be ineffective and even lead to permanent data loss (for example, by attempting to decrypt data using tools designed for different ransomware infections, users are likely to end up permanently damaging files and decryption will no longer be possible even with the correct tool).

Another way to identify a ransomware infection is to check the file extension, which is appended to each encrypted file. Ransomware infections are often named by the extensions they append (see files encrypted by Qewe ransomware below).

This method is only effective, however, when the appended extension is unique - many ransomware infections append a generic extension (for example, ".encrypted", ".enc", ".crypted", ".locked", etc.). In these cases, identifying ransomware by its appended extension becomes impossible.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to identify a ransomware infection is to use theID Ransomware website. This service supports most existing ransomware infections. Victims simply upload a ransom message and/or one encrypted file (we advise you to upload both if possible).

The ransomware will be identified within seconds and you will be provided with various details, such as the name of the malware family to which the infection belongs, whether it is decryptable, and so on.

Example 1 (Qewe [Stop/Djvu] ransomware):

Example 2 (.iso [Phobos] ransomware):

If your data happens to be encrypted by ransomware that is not supported by ID Ransomware, you can always try searching the internet by using certain keywords (for example, a ransom message title, file extension, provided contact emails, crypto wallet addresses, etc.).

Search for ransomware decryption tools:

Encryption algorithms used by most ransomware-type infections are extremely sophisticated and, if the encryption is performed properly, only the developer is capable of restoring data. This is because decryption requires a specific key, which is generated during the encryption. Restoring data without the key is impossible. In most cases, cybercriminals store keys on a remote server, rather than using the infected machine as a host. Dharma (CrySis), Phobos, and other families of high-end ransomware infections are virtually flawless, and thus restoring data encrypted without the developers' involvement is simply impossible. Despite this, there are dozens of ransomware-type infections that are poorly developed and contain a number of flaws (for example, the use of identical encryption/decryption keys for each victim, keys stored locally, etc.). Therefore, always check for available decryption tools for any ransomware that infiltrates your computer.

Finding the correct decryption tool on the internet can be very frustrating. For this reason, we recommend that you use the No More Ransom Projectand this is where identifying the ransomware infectionis useful. The No More Ransom Project website contains a "Decryption Tools" section with a search bar. Enter the name of the identified ransomware, and all available decryptors (if there are any) will be listed.

Restore files with data recovery tools:

Depending on the situation (quality of ransomware infection, type of encryption algorithm used, etc.), restoring data with certain third-party tools might be possible. Therefore, we advise you to use theRecuva tool developed by CCleaner. This tool supports over a thousand data types (graphics, video, audio, documents, etc.) and it is very intuitive (little knowledge is necessary to recover data). In addition, the recovery feature is completely free.

Create data backups:

Proper file management and creating backups is essential for data security. Therefore, always be very careful and think ahead.

Partition management:We recommend that you store your data in multiple partitions and avoid storing important files within the partition that contains the entire operating system. If you fall into a situation whereby you cannot boot the system and are forced to format the disk on which the operating system is installed (in most cases, this is where malware infections hide), you will lose all data stored within that drive. This is the advantage of having multiple partitions: if you have the entire storage device assigned to a single partition, you will be forced to delete everything, however, creating multiple partitions and allocating the data properly allows you to prevent such problems. You can easily format a single partition without affecting the others - therefore, one will be cleaned and the others will remain untouched, and your data will be saved. Managing partitions is quite simple and you can find all the necessary information on Microsoft's documentation web page.

Data backups: One of the most reliable backup methods is to use an external storage device and keep it unplugged. Copy your data to an external hard drive, flash (thumb) drive, SSD, HDD, or any other storage device, unplug it and store it in a dry place away from the sun and extreme temperatures. This method is, however, quite inefficient, since data backups and updates need to be made regularly. You can also use a cloud service or remote server. Here, an internet connection is required and there is always the chance of a security breach, although it's a really rare occasion.

We recommend using Microsoft OneDrive for backing up your files. OneDrive lets you store your personal files and data in the cloud, sync files across computers and mobile devices, allowing you to access and edit your files from all of your Windows devices. OneDrive lets you save, share and preview files, access download history, move, delete, and rename files, as well as create new folders, and much more.

You can back up your most important folders and files on your PC (your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders). Some of OneDrive’s more notable features include file versioning, which keeps older versions of files for up to 30 days. OneDrive features a recycling bin in which all of your deleted files are stored for a limited time. Deleted files are not counted as part of the user’s allocation.

The service is built using HTML5 technologies and allows you to upload files up to 300 MB via drag and drop into the web browser or up to 10 GB via the OneDrive desktop application. With OneDrive, you can download entire folders as a single ZIP file with up to 10,000 files, although it can’t exceed 15 GB per single download.

OneDrive comes with 5 GB of free storage out of the box, with an additional 100 GB, 1 TB, and 6 TB storage options available for a subscription-based fee. You can get one of these storage plans by either purchasing additional storage separately or with Office 365 subscription.

Creating a data backup:

The backup process is the same for all file types and folders. Here’s how you can back up your files using Microsoft OneDrive

Step 1: Choose the files/folders you want to backup.

Click the OneDrive cloud icon to open the OneDrive menu. While in this menu, you can customize your file backup settings.

Click Help & Settings and then select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Go to the Backup tab and click Manage backup.

In this menu, you can choose to backup the Desktop and all of the files on it, and Documents and Pictures folders, again, with all of the files in them. Click Start backup.

Now, when you add a file or folder in the Desktop and Documents and Pictures folders, they will be automatically backed up on OneDrive.

To add folders and files, not in the locations shown above, you have to add them manually.

Open File Explorer and navigate to the location of the folder/file you want to backup. Select the item, right-click it, and click Copy.

Then, navigate to OneDrive, right-click anywhere in the window and click Paste. Alternatively, you can just drag and drop a file into OneDrive. OneDrive will automatically create a backup of the folder/file.

All of the files added to the OneDrive folder are backed up in the cloud automatically. The green circle with the checkmark in it indicates that the file is available both locally and on OneDrive and that the file version is the same on both. The blue cloud icon indicates that the file has not been synced and is available only on OneDrive. The sync icon indicates that the file is currently syncing.

To access files only located on OneDrive online, go to the Help & Settings drop-down menu and select View online.

Step 2: Restore corrupted files.

OneDrive makes sure that the files stay in sync, so the version of the file on the computer is the same version on the cloud. However, if ransomware has encrypted your files, you can take advantage of OneDrive’s Version history feature that will allow you to restore the file versions prior to encryption.

Microsoft 365 has a ransomware detection feature that notifies you when your OneDrive files have been attacked and guide you through the process of restoring your files. It must be noted, however, that if you don’t have a paid Microsoft 365 subscription, you only get one detection and file recovery for free.

If your OneDrive files get deleted, corrupted, or infected by malware, you can restore your entire OneDrive to a previous state. Here’s how you can restore your entire OneDrive:

1. If you're signed in with a personal account, click the Settings cog at the top of the page. Then, click Options and select Restore your OneDrive.

If you're signed in with a work or school account, click the Settings cog at the top of the page. Then, click Restore your OneDrive.

2. On the Restore your OneDrive page, select a date from the drop-down list. Note that if you're restoring your files after automatic ransomware detection, a restore date will be selected for you.

3. After configuring all of the file restoration options, click Restore to undo all the activities you selected.

The best way to avoid damage from ransomware infections is to maintain regular up-to-date backups.

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