The Deep virus falls under the Phobos ransomware family. Harmful software of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, text files, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its own extension to every file, creating the info.hta text files in every folder with the encrypted files.

What is Deep virus?

Deep is a Phobos family ransomware-type virus.

The scheme of renaming is the following: .[[email protected]].deep. As a part of encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be altered to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3352].[[email protected]].deep”.

In each directory that contains the encrypted files, a info.hta text document will be created. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the Deep developers. You can get this decoding tool after contacting [email protected], @HostUppp by email. That is basically the scheme of the felony.

Deep Overview:

The info.hta document coming in package with the Deep malware states the following:

All your files have been encrypted!


All your files have been encrypted due to a security problem with your PC. If you want to restore them, write us to the e-mail [email protected]
Write this ID in the title of your message -
If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, please contact us by Telegram.org account: @HostUppp
You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us. After payment we will send you the tool that will decrypt all your files.


Free decryption as guarantee
Before paying you can send us up to 3 files for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 4Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.)


How to obtain Bitcoins
The easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site. You have to register, click \'Buy bitcoins\', and select the seller by payment method and price.
hxxps://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins
Also you can find other places to buy Bitcoins and beginners guide here:
hxxp://www.coindesk.com/information/how-can-i-buy-bitcoins/


Attention!
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 folder with files encrypted by the Deep looks like. Each filename has the “.[[email protected]].deep” extension added to it.

How did my machine catch Deep ransomware?

There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

Nowadays, there are three most exploited ways for criminals to have ransomware working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer networks.

• If you access your mailbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a viral file attached to them. Thus it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan horse model. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your PC disguised as something else. For instance, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some software. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that corrupts your data. Since the installation package can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The best way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent or eMule, the danger 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 folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

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

Remove Deep 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 Deep 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 "Deep" 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 Deep 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.

Often racketeers would unblock few of your files to prove that they really have the decryption tool. As Deep virus is a relatively new ransomware, safety measures engineers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding instruments are constantly updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the tamperers do the job of encrypting victim’s critical files, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After getting the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors simply disappearing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The best countermeasure to ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud storage or at least on an external storage. Surely, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the system is rolled back.

Deep 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, Days, Azop, Azqt, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Deep are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes appear in each directory containing encrypted files.

Some lucky users were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decoding 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 rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware injection?

Deep ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.

You can defend your PC from its attack in three easy steps:

• Never open any emails 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 lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the suspicious letter carefully. A hoax email will always have a mistake.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, possibly as a “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such software.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful armor for your PC.

FAQ

Is it possible to open “.[[email protected]].deep” files?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.[[email protected]].deep” files are decrypted.

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

If the “.[[email protected]].deep” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. 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. The rest of the methods require patience.

You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Deep virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

Absolutely not! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.

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

What should I do if the Deep malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

If that happened, you need to prepare a flash memory card with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your machine. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run upon system start. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

What could help the situation right now?

Some of the encrypted files can be found elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files by email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to give those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud disks 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 utilitiesBest Data Recovery Software Of 2023.' data-wpel-link="internal" target="_self" rel="follow">² to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but be advised: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an antivirus program.

The post DEEP Virus 🔐 [[email protected]].DEEP Files Ransomware appeared first on How To Fix Guide.