OFFER*Pohj is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
Pohj
Pohj is a type of file-attacking virus that applies data encryption to the files on the attacked computer, thereby locking them. Pohj then displays a message which informs the victim about a ransom they must pay in order to be able to make their data accessible.
This form of malware, known as Ransomware, is unique for the reason that it doesn’t harm anything on the computer, and it doesn’t try to spy on its victims or steal their data. Its sole goal is to prevent the user from opening, using, editing, or doing anything else with their files. If the locked files are of high importance to the user, the latter would be forced to complete the ransom payment in order to restore access to said files.
According to the text in the ransom note of the virus, once the user carries out the money transfer, a special key, unique for his or her computer, would be sent to them. Through this key, the victim would be able to restore their access to the encrypted data. This ransom payment is the whole purpose of the Ransomware viruses as a whole. Of course, if none of the locked files are valuable and if you can afford to lose them, then there is no need to worry about paying the ransom. In such cases, the only truly important thing you must do is remove the virus to clean your computer and make sure that no more files would get encrypted in the future. On the flip side, if the Ransomware has taken some files that you value hostage, then you will need to carefully assess the situation and figure out which course of action would be the best one to take in your case.
The Pohj virus
The Pohj virus is a stealthy Ransomware program, the goal of which is to block you access to the files found on your machine. The Pohj virus is very good at staying unnoticed and, usually, it isn’t detected until it completes the encryption.
After the files targeted by the virus are sealed, it no longer matters if the threat remains on the computer. Even if the user takes care of the virus and removes it, the files that the Ransomware has encrypted will still remain in their inaccessible state.
The Pohj file decryption
The Pohj file decryption is the reversal of the file-encryption process that the virus has used to lock up your data. The Pohj file decryption typically requires the use of a matching decryption key, but there might be some alternative recovery options you can try.
Generally, the payment variant should really only be resorted to if no other option has worked. Unless you have tried everything else and nothing has worked so far, we advise you to refrain from paying the ransom because the hackers may trick you and never send you the promised decryption key. If you are interested in learning more about removing the virus and recovering your data, check out the guide posted on this page as well as our How to Decrypt Ransomware post.
SUMMARY:
*Pohj is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
Remove Pohj Ransomware
It is recommended that, before you continue with the guide, you Bookmark this page so you can quickly get back to it for reference.
Also, it is advisable that you enter the computer in Safe Mode. This will, hopefully, make it easier to spot the ransomware and successfully remove it from the system.
WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!
*Pohj is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
With the computer in Safe Mode, open the Windows Task Manager (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC key combination). When the app shows up on the screen, go to the Processes Tab. Carefully scroll the list of active processes and search for a process that could be related to Pohj or is problematic and questionable.
When you come across such a process, right-click on it and, from the menu that pops-up, select Open File Location. Drag and drop the files found in that location in our free online virus scanner for a check:
When the scan completes, and you see the results, end the processes related to the files that get flagged as malicious, then go to the file location and delete the flagged files and their folders.
Next, on your desktop, open a Run dialog box (Start and R key combination). Then copy the following line in the Run box:
notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts
Press the Enter key on the keyboard and this will open a text file named “Hosts” on your screen. Head to the bottom of the file where it is written “Localhost”. Then, check for any suspicious IP addresses below Localhost. Normally, there shouldn’t be any, but if the computer is hacked, you will see a number of IPs just as it is shown in the image here:
If under the Localhost section of your Hosts file there are some IPs that look questionable, please, write to us in the comments below this post, so we can advise you on your actions in this case.
Next, head to the System Configuration app and launch it (type msconfig in the windows search field and hit enter). As soon as you open it, click on the Startup tab:
Carefully check out every process in the list of Startup items and try to determine which of them is legitimate and which one could be run by the ransomware. Remove the checkmark before the questionable item. Pay special attention to items with “Unknown” Manufacturer and, if needed, google them in order to determine if they are part of the threat. Keep in mind that ransomware viruses like Pohj may use fake names for its processes, that’s why your careful research is important.
*Pohj is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
Your next step is to search for Pohj-related entries in the Registry. For that, type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter to open the Registry Editor app. Once the app launches, open a Find dialog box (press CTRL and F keys together) and write the exact name of the virus. In your case, you need to type Pohj. Then, click on the Find Next button and, after the search completes, delete any entries that are found with that name. Repeat the search process as many times as needed until there are no more entries that are found.
Be careful! Any deletions in the Registry that are unrelated to the ransomware may cause a serious system damage!
After that, go to the Windows Search Field and type each of the following lines one by one:
- %AppData%
- %LocalAppData%
- %ProgramData%
- %WinDir%
- %Temp%
This will open specific directories where you have to check for recently added files and folders that could be related to Pohj. When you open the Temp folder, you need to delete everything that is found in that folder.
If you are not quite sure what needs to be deleted, don’t risk. It is much better to use a professional removal tool (like the one on this page) to carefully scan your computer for Pohj and follow its steps for malicious file-deletion than corrupt your OS involuntarily. Also, if you find yourself in trouble, better leave us a comment at the end of this page, so we can assist you then mess with the files on your computer and feel sorry after that.
How to Decrypt Pohj files
After you complete all the steps above, and you are sure that Pohj has been successfully removed, you may want to explore our free methods for file decryption.
Even for experts in cybersecurity, it can be hard to figure out how ransomware encrypted data can be recovered. Besides, the methods for decrypting ransomware can be different depending on the type of ransomware that has infected you, which makes recovering data even harder. That’s why, the first thing that you should do before you look into any file-recovery methods is to find out what kind of ransomware has infected your system. The easiest way to do that is by looking at the file extensions of the encrypted files.
Before any data recovery can start, an advanced anti-virus program like the one on this page must be used to do a full virus scan on the compromised computer. Alternatively, you can scan individual files with the help of this free malware-scanner. You shouldn’t look into file recovery options until the virus check comes back clean of malware.
New Djvu Ransomware
STOP Djvu ransomware is a new type of ransomware that encrypts files in secret and asks victims for money. Reports of this threat have come in from all over the world, and people who have been hit by it have said that it adds the Pohj suffix to encrypted files. Victims who have lost data, however, shouldn’t pay the ransom that the hackers want because decryptors like the one in the link below might be able to help them get their files back.
https://www.emsisoft.com/ransomware-decryption-tools/stop-djvu
You can decrypt files by downloading the STOPDjvu program from the URL and running it, but first you should read the license agreement and the instructions for use on the page. Even though this program may be able to deal with many ransomware variants, it cannot guarantee to decrypt all encrypted files. The program is limited to deciphering only files whose offline keys are added to the database, meaning that files encrypted with unknown offline keys or online encryption may not be recovered.
Remember, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to share them with us in the comments below!
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