.NITZ File Extension
NITZ Ransomware Encrypted File
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What is a NITZ file?
A file with the .nitz extension has been renamed and encrypted by NITZ ransomware. It contains an image, video, document, or other type of file the ransomware is holding hostage. The .nitz extension is added to the file's normal extension, creating a compound extension such as .jpg.nitz.
More Information
In April 2023, some users began reporting their computers had been infected by NITZ ransomware. After investigating, ransomware researchers discovered that NITZ ransomware is a variant of .STOP ransomware.
Just like other STOP variants, NITZ ransomware encrypts many of a user's files, to prevent the user from opening them, and renames the encrypted files to use the .nitz extension. It then produces a plain text ransom note named _readme.txt in every folder that contains an infected file. This ransom note contains instructions users can supposedly follow to restore their files.
How did my computer get infected by NITZ ransomware?
NITZ ransomware is most commonly distributed within programs that appear to be legitimate but are actually adware and malware bundles. If you recently downloaded and installed an unverified program, that may be how your computer became infected by NITZ ransomware. NITZ ransomware is also sometimes distributed within email attachments.
How to open a NITZ file
Because NITZ files are encrypted, you cannot open them. At this time, there is no way to decrypt NITZ files. The best way to restore files encrypted by NITZ ransomware is to retrieve them from a recent backup or perform a System Restore.
Warning
FileInfo.com recommends you never pay a ransom to decrypt files encrypted by ransomware. Paying a ransom encourages ransomware distributors to continue their efforts, and there is no guarantee that paying a ransom will give you access to your files. Instead, you should restore your data from a recent backup created before the ransomware infected your computer.