Dom Ransomware

The ransomware field has been dominated by two ransomware families in 2019 – Dharma and STOP. However, there is a third ransomware family that has also sown impressive activity, although it is not nearly as widespread as the latter two. It is the Scarab Ransomware family, and it first made the news in 2018 when the project appeared to be very active – back then, cybersecurity researchers had to categorize dozens of Scarab Ransomware variants each month. The latest member of the Scarab Ransomware family is called the Dom Ransomware, and it is incompatible with free decryption utilities. This means that victims of the Dom Ransomware will not be able to make use of free and reliable data recovery options, and they will need to resort to alternative data restoration methods and utilities that may not always deliver satisfying results.

The Scarab Ransomware is Back under the Spotlight with the Dom Ransomware Variant

Just like other Scarab Ransomware variants, this one is also spread via a wide range of methods – pirated software and media, email spam, fake downloads, malvertising, etc. Regardless of the tricks that the Dom Ransomware uses to get to your computer, the consequences of its attack are almost always identical – a large number of locked files whose contents cannot be accessed unless they are decrypted first. Unfortunately, accomplishing this task requires the use of a unique decryption key that is stored on the servers owned by Dom Ransomware's operators.

All files that the Dom Ransomware locks will be easy to recognize because their names will be altered to include the '.dom' extension. Another notable change is the creation of the 'How to decrypt files.txt' ransom message that victims of the Dom Ransomware will find on the desktop. According to this file, users affected by the Dom Ransomware's attack must contact the attackers for assistance, and should not rely on alternative data recovery options. The attackers add that they use the addresses personaliddecryptor@aol.com and personaliddecryptor@protonmail.com for contact.

We would not advise you to try to resolve the issue by contacting the perpetrators since they may end up taking your money without offering anything in return. The general advice when it comes to dealing with the consequences of a ransomware attack is to start by running an anti-virus scanner that will help eliminate the threatening program from your computer. Once you do this, you will be free to experiment with alternative data recovery tools.