This STOP/DJVU virus version uses exceptionally strong encryption method that is close to impossible to break. As it uses RSA, it modifies all personal files on the computer (documents, photos, videos, audio files, databases, and other data) using a public key, but to decrypt .sglh file extension files, the victim needs to obtain the private key, which is held by the cybercriminals and is offered for a specific sum of money in cryptocurrency. In this guide, I will explain how to remove SGLH virus and restore your files without paying the ransom.

Cybercriminals demand a ransom

The primary target of the developers of SGLH ransomware is to extort the victim, therefore they command the victim to pay a ransom in exchange for the data decryption key and program. The guidelines on purchasing these tools aren’t provided in the _readme.txt, as the criminals suggest writing to one of the provided emails: helpmanager@mail.ch or restoremanager@airmail.cc. The ransom note briefly informs the victim that files can be recovered using a special decryption software and that it is supposedly the only way of restoring these files back to normal. As a proof of the STOP decrypter concept, the criminals offer a deal to test the software. They suggest sending one encrypted file for free decryption, along with the victim’s ID included in the note. They state that decrypted file will be provided in return.

50% discount for victim’s who pay within 3 days

The cybercriminals also describe the price of the .sglh file decryption tools in the note. The decryptor price solely depends on how quickly the victim reaches out to the virtual attackers. According to the note, the full ransom price is is $980. However, they offer a deal for those victims who want to “save” – if the victim contacts the attackers and pays within 72 hours (3 days), the attackers reduce the price by 50% and instead ask for $490. Unfortunately, such sum is also a lot of money. The criminals also set specific conditions for currency they want to receive the ransom in – it must be cryptocurrency. This guarantees their identity anonymization. There are a few main reasons why we do not recommend paying the ransom. First, it fuels the cybercrime industry. Second, you will be identified as a potential “payer” and targeted in future attacks. Finally, paying the ransom for criminals does NOT GUARANTEE FILE DECRYPTION. SGLH ransomware variant is almost identical to the previous ones – BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here) All of them are nearly identical, the sole factor that differs is the file extension appended to affected file names. In case you have been infected and your files were encrypted by this virus, we strongly recommend you to remove SGLH ransomware virus ASAP. To ensure professional malware elimination procedure, follow the guidelines provided below. We also strongly recommend using SYSTEM MECHANIC ULTIMATE DEFENSE for virus damage repair after a ransomware attack. It can replace compromised system files with healthy ones and repair Windows HOSTS file that also gets modified by STOP/DJVU ransomware variants.

Threat Summary

How victims get infected with this ransomware

The majority of new STOP/DJVU ransomware versions, including SGLH virus, circulate around in illegal torrent downloads, mostly disguised software cracks and keygens. That said, your chances to get infected with this ransomware are high if you tend to use eMule or uTorrent software to download paid software versions for free. These peer-to-peer downloads can be uploaded by nearly anyone. In addition, such users often ignore antivirus warnings for possible malware in such illegal tools. Therefore, cybercriminals exploit this computer users’ weak spot and insert malicious payloads. We strongly recommend you to avoid such download sources at all costs and instead head to legitimate and official software vendors’ websites. To avoid getting infected with ransomware, you must be attentive as you browse through various online resources. What is more, if you do not desire with other types of computer viruses, use an antivirus with real-time protection on your computer. It is extremely important to create data backups regularly. Our advice is to keep them in an EXTERNAL storage device (safely ejected from your PC). You will definitely use such backups not only in case of file encryption, but also in case your computer gets physically destroyed or stolen.

Remove SGLH ransomware virus

If you wish to remove SGLH ransomware virus, please read the instructions provided below. Once you finish each step explained there, you can start recovering your files for a backup. We also recommend you to read these tips after SGLH ransomware removal and take actions to secure your privacy. OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove SGLH ransomware virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove SGLH ransomware virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt SGLH files

Fix and open large SGLH files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. SGLH ransomware virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt SGLH files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The SGLH decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your SGLH extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Victims of SGLH ransomware virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.