Security News > 2021 > January > Fonix ransomware shuts down and releases master decryption key
The Fonix Ransomware operators have shut down their operation and released the master decryption allowing victims to recover their files for free.
The ransomware operation was not as widely active as others, such as REvil, Netwalker, or STOP, but starting in November 2020, it picked up a bit, as shown by the ID Ransomware submissions below.
This afternoon, a Twitter user claiming to be a Fonix ransomware admin announced that the ransomware had shut down.
According to the message, some of the 'members' of the ransomware operation were not happy that it was shutting down.
The decryptor released tonight is the Fonix Ransomware operators' tool when performing these free test decryption and does not allow a victim to decrypt an entire computer.
The good news is that Michael Gillespie has told BleepingComputer that the master keys work but only on some Fonix ransomware versions.