Remove HORSEMONEY Virus (.HORSEMONEY Files Ransomware) – Phobos Ransomware

HORSEMONEY Virus Ransomware

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

The message given by HORSEMONEY text file asking for the ransom is definitely the same as the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives coming from the Phobos type. It actually points out that the info is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism applied by HORSEMONEY is still not properly examined. Still, it is absolutely certain that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is totally unique. It is difficult to bring back the files without the key available.

Another technique of HORSEMONEY is that the victims cannot access to the key. The key is saved on a particular server run by the frauds connected with HORSEMONEY ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people have to pay the ransom.

Nonetheless, regardless of the requested amount, people must stay away from paying the ransom virus. Cyber frauds are unfair, so they tend to completely ignore what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom generally does not provide any positive result and people simply waste their money for absolutely nothing.

We highly advise 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 HORSEMONEY ransomware and to recover the data data free of charge. Thus, the just right decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	HORSEMONEY Ransomware
File Extension	.HORSEMONEY
Type	Ransomware
Family	Phobos
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 HORSEMONEY extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool	GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Bear in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to HORSEMONEY ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are usually elaborated to encrypt important 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 unique decryption key for information decryption.

Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is merely not feasible. The only method to avoid the loss of your essential data 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 Flash Drive or external 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 together with other files, so it’s absolutely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my computer?

There are a number of ways used by online scams to distribute HORSEMONEY virus. Even though it doubts how exactly HORSEMONEY injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:

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

Often HORSEMONEY ransomware might be presented as some genuine software, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some important software application updates. This is the common trick used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing HORSEMONEY infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

In addition, the criminals might refer to different email spam methods to inject destructive codes into Windows PC. So, they may describe to sending unsolicited spam emails with tricky notices promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones motivating users to open some receipts, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade informs may result in HORSEMONEY ransom injection. As for the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may also consist of destructive codes resulting in HORSEMONEY secret installation. Finally, injection of HORSEMONEY may take place by ways of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and install malicious tools without the user’s authorization.

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

Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we want to share with with you. First off, be very careful when you surf the web and especially while downloading 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 consist of other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be harmful. Make certain that your current antivirus software and your entire OS is always appropriately updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is illegal and may result in essential damage to be produced your PC. Thus, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise highly advised to reconsider your existing security software and possibly switch to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your PC.

Below please find the quotation from the HORSEMONEY text file:

Hello,sir!Dont worry,your files are safe but you cant use it before our cooperating

Unfortunately for you, a major IT security weakness left you open to attack, your files have been encrypted
We can give you all decryption guarantees and important information to improve your IT skills
Price of decryption depends on how fast you will write us
If you want to restore your files write to our ICQ which works 24/7 - @HORSEMONEY
Install ICQ software on your PC here hxxps://icq.com/windows/ or on mobile phone from Appstore / Google Play Market search for \"ICQ\"
Write to our ICQ @HORSEMONEY hxxps://icq.im/HORSEMONEY/
Write your ID in the title of your message -

Attention!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software - it may cause permanent data loss.
We are always ready to cooperate and find the best way to solve your problem.
The faster you write - the more favorable conditions will be for you.
Our company values its reputation. We give all guarantees of your files decryption.
IF WE DONT SEE MESSAGES FROM YOU IN 72 HOURS - WE WILL SELL YOUR DATABASES AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO YOUR COMPETITORS AND OTHER HACKERS IN DARKNET.

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

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove HORSEMONEY 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.