Remove Hog Virus (.Hog Files Ransomware)

Hog Virus Ransomware

The Hog stands for a ransomware-type infection. Hog was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. Hog adds the “.Hog” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, once encrypted by Hog, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.Hog“. As quickly as the encryption is completed, Hog places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by Hog text file asking for the ransom is absolutely the like the statements given by other ransomware representatives. It literally discusses that the info is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Unfortunately, this is absolutely true. The kind of cryptography mechanism applied by Hog is still not correctly examined. Still, it is definitely specific that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is totally distinct. It is difficult to bring back the files without the key available.

Another technique of Hog is that the victims cannot gain access to the key. The key is saved on a particular server run by the frauds related to Hog ransomware. To get the key and recover the important info people need to pay the ransom.

Nevertheless, regardless of the asked for quantity, people must keep away from paying the ransom virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally disregard what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom usually does not give any positive result and people just waste their money for nothing.

We highly encourage that you do not contact these crooks and certainly do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack Hog ransomware and to recover the information data totally free. Thus, the only right decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	Hog Ransomware
File Extension	.Hog
Type	Ransomware
Short Description	The ransomware encrypts all the data stored on your system and requires a ransom to be paid on your part supposedly to recover your important files.
Symptoms	File encryption by the ransomware is performed by means of the AES and RSA encryption algorithms. Once the encryption is completed, the ransomware adds its special Hog extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool	GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Keep in mind that the world wide web is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to Hog ransomware. Harmful programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt crucial information and to state the need prior to the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a comparable algorithm to generate the special decryption key for information decryption.

Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, by hand recovering the information is just not feasible. The only way to prevent the loss of your crucial files is to frequently create backups of your important information.

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they should be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the USB Memory Stick or external hard disk drive for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you store your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted along with other files, so it’s definitely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my computer?

There are a number of methods used by online frauds to distribute Hog ransomware. Even though it doubts how precisely Hog injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

• integration with third-party software, especially freeware;
• spam e-mails from unknown senders;
• websites rendering free hosting services;
• pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.

Often Hog ransomware might exist as some legitimate software application, for example, in the pop-ups instructing users to implement some important software updates. This is the typical trick used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing Hog infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.

In addition, the criminals might refer to various e-mail spam techniques to inject malicious codes into copmuter. So, they may describe to sending unsolicited spam emails with tricky notifications promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones motivating users to open some photos, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade notifies may result in Hog virus injection. As for the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include destructive codes causing Hog secret installation. Lastly, injection of Hog may take place by methods of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and install harmful utilities without the user’s authorization.

Is there any way to avoid the injection of Hog ransom virus?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your system from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we want to show with you. To start with, be really mindful when you surf the web and particularly while downloading totally free apps. Keep away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Keep in mind that some freeware installers may contain other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be malicious. Ensure that your current antivirus and your entire OS is always duly updated.

Obviously, downloading pirated software is prohibited and may result in essential damage to be produced your system. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly recommended to reconsider your existing security software and possibly switch to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your computer.

Below please find the quotation from the Hog text file:

Pop-up window:
Hog Ransomware Decryptor
Attention!
Your personal files have been encrypted by the Hog Ransomware.
They have been encrypted using unbreakable AES-256 encryption.
A \".hog\" file extension has been appended to the encrypted files.
Please do not remove it, as it is needed to locate and decrypt them.
Attempting to modify the encrypted files can result in irreversible data loss.
In order to decrypt your files, you will need to join our Discord server.
Once you hav ejoined, enter your Discord account token in the box below.
Press \"Decrypt My Files!\" and if you have joined, your files will be decrypted.
Have a nice day!

Hide Token
Your token:
Discord Server
How do I get my token?
[Decrypt My Files!]
=================

Hog Ransomware Decryptor
The invite was invalid. As a result of this, we are decrypting your files.
This may take a while, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Have a nice day!
Your token:
Discord Server
How do I get my token?
[Decrypting...]

Screenshot of files with “.Hog” extension added by the ransomware:

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Hog ransomware from your computer

1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:

  GridinSoft Anti-Malware

2. Double-click on the setup file.

When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-ag.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.

An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.

3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.

4. Wait for the GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Win Speedup 2018 and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so we suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.

5. Click on “Clean Now”.

When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.