Question Phobos/Adame ransomware, wait for decryptor tool?

[hillelslovak]

I was hit by the Adame variant of the phobos ransomware a couple months ago. In the end, all it did was encrypt a bunch of game installs, which could simply be redownloaded, and my hdd that had all my movies on it. I've been converting my blu rays and dvds to digital files for the better part of a decade. The drive is a 4tb Western Digital Blue drive with around 1250 of my movies in it. It took an incredible amount of time and nonsense to compile this collection, and I reeeeeally don't want to simply format the drive and restart the collection.

So, I have a couple questions:

First, should I just wait until a decryptor tool is released for this ransomware, be it years if need be? I'm fine just keeping the drive in a drawer until I can decrypt, but do you guys think it's likely this ransomware will remain uncracked for an extended period of time?

Also, does anyone have ballpark times on how freaking long it would take to decrypt so many files like that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[kanewolf]

You had a single copy of "important" files (a lot of time was invested). This ransomware is no different than if you a disk failure. You need to have a backup plan. Use this as a learning opportunity for backups.

 

[Wolfshadw]

I went this route a number of years back as well. Like you, I spent a hefty chunk of time creating my digital library. Like you, I did not have a back up of the drive. However, I wasn't hit with ransomware. I was the victim of a hard drive failure (as Kanewolf notes).

The question you need to ask is just how much more convenient is it to have your library digitized.
Do you access it remotely?
Do you still have the discs?
Are you REALLY so pressed for time that you need to access your movies with just a few button clicks?

For me, the answers to those questions were No, Yes, and No. So I didn't bother trying to re-digitize my library. Another realization I made was that I generally don't re-watch movies from my library so often that I'd need them on my hard drive. I still have several dozen DVR movies on a drive and I haven't watched but one or two in over a year.

-Wolf sends

 

[hillelslovak]

But will there be a way to decrypt these files whenever phobos/adame is cracked? That's what I'm asking.

 

[USAFRet]

But will there be a way to decrypt these files whenever phobos/adame is cracked? That's what I'm asking.

Maybe, eventually.
There is no prediction. Might be next week, might be years. Maybe never.

 

[COLGeek]

But will there be a way to decrypt these files whenever phobos/adame is cracked? That's what I'm asking.

There is no way to answer this question that is certain. Yes, no, maybe.