Djvu VirusRansomwareRemoval Guide

HORON Virus Removal Guide (+Decode .horon files) – Djvu Ransomware

HORON Virus – Details

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

The message given by HORON text file requesting the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives coming from the Djvu clan. It actually discusses that the information is encrypted which the only way to restore it is to use a a special decryption key. Regretfully, this is definitely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism used by HORON is still not properly examined. Still, it is definitely specific that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is totally distinct. It is difficult to restore the files without the key available.

Another technique of HORON is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is saved on a particular server run by the frauds associated with HORON ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people need to pay the ransom, which totals up to $980. To obtain the payment details users are advised to contact the frauds through email or telegram. The alert also shows that the users require to contact the HORON developers within 72 hours after the encryption happened. The message says that doing so users will get a 50% discount, so the ransom amount will drop down to $490.

Nevertheless, irrespective of the requested amount, people should stay away from paying the ransom virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to completely ignore what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom generally does not give any positive result and people simply lose their money for absolutely nothing.

We highly recommend that you do not contact these crooks and absolutely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack HORON ransomware and to recover the data data for free. Hence, the just right decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

NameHORON Ransomware
File Extension.horon
TypeRansomware
FamilyDjvu
Short DescriptionThe 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.
SymptomsFile 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 horon extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution MethodSpam Emails, Email Attachments
Similar InfectionsVesad, Gerosan, Muslat
Removal Tool   GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Bear in mind that the web is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to HORON ransomware. It is similar Vesad and many other ransomware-type threats. Malicious programs of such kind are typically elaborated to encrypt crucial data and to set forth the demand 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 unique decryption key for files decryption.

Hence, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is just not feasible. The only way to avoid the loss of your important information is to frequently create backups of your important information.

Keep in mind that even if you create such backups, they must be placed 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 in addition to other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage place.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are several methods used by online scams to distribute HORON ransom virus. Although it is uncertain how exactly HORON injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

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

Typically HORON virus may exist as some legitimate software, for example, in the pop-ups instructing users to execute some crucial software application updates. This is the typical trick used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing HORON infection manually, by means of their direct participation in the installation process.

Furthermore, the criminals may refer to various e-mail spam methods to inject harmful codes into PC. So, they may describe to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notifications promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones encouraging users to open some photos, files, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may badly harm the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update notifies may result in HORON virus injection. When it comes to the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include malicious codes leading to HORON secret installation. Lastly, injection of HORON may happen by means of Trojans that secretly get injected into the system and set up harmful utilities without the user’s authorization.

Is there any way to prevent the injection of HORON ransom virus?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we wish to show with you. To start with, be extremely mindful when you browse the web and especially while downloading free programs. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Remember that some freeware installers may include other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be destructive. Make certain that your current anti-virus and your entire operating system is always appropriately updated.

Obviously, downloading pirated software is prohibited and may lead to essential damage to be made for your system. Thus, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also highly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps switch to another security solution that can render far better services of defending your Windows.

Screenshot of files with “.horon” extension added by the ransomware:
HORON Ransomware - encrypt files with .horon extension

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove HORON 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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware  Start

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

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Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann has been writing on security and malware subjects for many years and has been working in the security industry for over 10 years. Daniel was educated at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany and currently lives in New York.

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