Djvu VirusRansomwareRemoval Guide

Boston Virus Removal Guide (+Decode .boston files) – Djvu Ransomware

Boston – General Info

The Boston mean a ransomware-type infection. The virus comes from the Djvu ransomware family. Boston was elaborated specifically to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. Boston adds the “.boston” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, as soon as encrypted by Boston, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.boston“. As quickly as the encryption is completed, Boston places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by Boston text file requesting for the ransom is definitely the same as the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the Djvu type. It actually mentions that the information is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a a special decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The type of cryptography mechanism used by Boston is still not properly examined. Still, it is definitely certain that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is completely unique. It is difficult to bring back the files without the key available.

Another technique of Boston is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is kept on a specific server run by the frauds related to Boston ransomware. To get the key and recover the important info people need to pay the ransom, which amounts to $980. To obtain the payment details users are instructed to contact the frauds through email or telegram. The alert also indicates that the users need to contact the Boston developers within 72 hours after the files encryption took place. The message says that doing so users will get a 50% discount, so the ransom amount will drop down to $490.

Nonetheless, regardless of the asked for amount, people must stay away from paying the ransom virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally ignore what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom usually does not give any positive result and people simply waste their money for nothing.

We highly encourage that you do not contact these crooks and absolutely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack Boston ransomware and to recover the information data free of charge. Hence, the only best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

NameBoston Ransomware
File Extension.boston
TypeRansomware
FamilyDjvu
Short DescriptionThe ransomware encrypts all the data stored on your system and requires a ransom to be paid on your part supposedly to recover your important files.
SymptomsFile encryption by the ransomware is performed by means of the AES and RSA encryption algorithms. Once the encryption is completed, the ransomware adds its special boston extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution MethodSpam Emails, Email Attachments
Similar InfectionsOmgera, Heroset, Pidon
Removal Tool   GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Keep in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to Boston ransomware. It is similar Omgera and many other ransomware-type threats. Harmful programs of such kind are generally elaborated to encrypt crucial information and to state the demand before the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a comparable algorithm to create the unique decryption key for files decryption.

Hence, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is merely not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your important information is to routinely create backups of your important information.

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they should be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the USB Memory Stick or external hard drive for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you store your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted along with other files, so it’s absolutely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are several methods used by online scams to distribute Boston virus. Despite the fact that it is uncertain how exactly Boston injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

  • integration with third-party apps, especially freeware;
  • spam e-mails from unknown senders;
  • websites rendering free hosting services;
  • pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.

Frequently Boston virus might exist as some genuine software, for example, in the pop-ups advising users to execute some crucial software updates. This is the common trick used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Boston infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

Furthermore, the criminals might describe different e-mail spam strategies to inject harmful codes into systems. So, they may refer to to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notices promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones motivating users to open some video, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may seriously damage the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade notifies may result in Boston virus injection. As for the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise contain malicious codes resulting in Boston secret installation. Lastly, injection of Boston may take place by ways of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and set up harmful tools without the user’s authorization.

Is there any way to prevent the injection of Boston ransomware?

Even though there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of advice we want to share with with you. Firstly, be extremely cautious when you browse the web and especially while downloading free apps. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Remember that some freeware installers may contain other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be destructive. Ensure that your current antivirus and your entire OS is always duly updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is illegal and may result in essential damage to be made for your PC. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly advised to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps switch to another security solution that can render far better services of defending your PC.

Screenshot of files with “.boston” extension added by the ransomware:
Boston Ransomware - encrypt files with .boston extension

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Boston ransomware from your computer

1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:

  GridinSoft Anti-Malware

2. Double-click on the setup file.

When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-ag.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware  Start

4. Wait for the GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Win Speedup 2018 and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so we suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan

5. Click on “Clean Now”.

When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

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Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann has been writing on security and malware subjects for many years and has been working in the security industry for over 10 years. Daniel was educated at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany and currently lives in New York.

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3 Comments

  1. Is this a new one?
    I’ve noticed that today at 11:00 am!

    It affected around 2,000 files. Then I disconnected the wifi, and immediately bought an anti virus “Norton” ..
    Bot sure if cleaned it .. I will format the whole system.

  2. The good thing that it was anew laptop “Windows” .. so it was ok for me to format it.
    The big issue was that I connected it to Dropbox and OneDrive already .. so it moved to my MacBook.

    Working on renaming the files till now .. Thank God that I have noticed and files are not yet encrypted.

    Any advice?

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