Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware

Posted: August 9, 2017

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	84

First Seen:	August 9, 2017
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware is a file-blocking Trojan most likely based on the Hidden Tear family. Its attacks can encipher content such as documents and make them unable to open until you decrypt them permanently. The premium recovery option this threat recommends is a tactic not associated with an appropriate decryption feature, and malware experts advise deleting the Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware with anti-malware programs before recovering through other, free methods.

Making You Pay a Pretty Penny for the Digital Equivalent of Shiny Rocks

The industry of harmful encryption and file sabotage for money is built, in part, on a foundation of assumptions. Threat actors hope to convince their victims that paying a ransom is the only way to get their files unlocked, even though this often isn't remotely true. While most Trojans of the same category provide the possibility of a good-faith ransom transaction at least, a new one just identified by malware analysts, the Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware, deprives those it attacks of even the possibility of getting an 'official' decryptor.

The .NET-based the Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware seems to be in distribution with a regional preference for residents of Asia, such as South Korea, China and Russia. Like any 'out of the box' version of Hidden Tear, it scans the infected PC for files to lock with an AES-based cipher, such as documents, spreadsheets, or pictures, without any outward symptoms appearing. However, a file encrypted successfully no longer can open, and also may have its name modified with an additional extension that consists of six randomly-generated characters.

Although the Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware creates what malware experts consider a traditional ransom message, via a locally-dropped HTML page, it omits some not immediately obvious features that most threat actors include. The Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware doesn't track its victims with a custom ID that it can link to the Bitcoin ransoms and doesn't trigger an automatic decryption feature after the payment. Consequently, any victims paying are out of money with no benefit to their files.

Finding the Flaws in a Diamond Encryption Tactic

Although paying the Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware's ransom doesn't give the victim any new access to a decryptor, the Hidden Tear family the Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware derives its encryption code from is highly vulnerable to free decryption efforts. Always test these decryption tools with copies of any encoded files for compatibility instead of experimenting with the only copies of your media. Backing up your files to another location beforehand also can eliminate any need for decrypting any locked media.

The Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware includes some features that malware experts rarely see in Hidden Tear variants, such as additional attacks against VirtualBox-based media and a TeamViewer installation. The latter program could allow a remote attacker to control your PC remotely as per a standard backdoor attack. Compromised systems should be disconnected from the Internet immediately to remove any chances of related security issues escalating before the user uninstalls the Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware with an anti-malware program.

The widespread nature of file-encrypting Trojans can make some users take their attacks and consequences for granted. Extortionists claiming to give you a way out of the damages they inflict themselves aren't always honest, and it is always better to trust the safeguarding of your work to backups and security software.

Diamond Computer Encryption Ransomware

Threat Metric

Making You Pay a Pretty Penny for the Digital Equivalent of Shiny Rocks

Finding the Flaws in a Diamond Encryption Tactic

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