What is Ahtw ransomware?
Ahtw is a new version of STOP/Djvu, a ransomware virus. There are many other versions of STOP/Djvu as well; all of them are very similar to Ahtw and to each other. These viruses are known for encrypting all data on infected computers and demanding money for its decryption. To demand money, the virus must communicate with the victim somehow; it does so by creating a ransom note. It is a text file called “_readme.txt”; its full text can be read on the image above. In the file, the hackers tell their victims that they must pay $980 to get their files back, though the price will be reduced to $490 if they pay quickly. This is, obviously, very expensive, and not everyone would be willing to do that. It is worth noting that criminals who make ransomware don’t always decrypt the files even after getting paid, so paying the ransom may be a bad idea even if you have the money. Instead, you should read our guide; it will explain how to remove Ahtw ransomware and decrypt .ahtw files without paying (or even contacting) the hackers.