Do you know what Horsedeal Ransomware is?
Horsedeal Ransomware is a tremendously aggressive file-encrypting threat that is capable of encrypting files all across the infected operating system. It is set up not to encrypt files on systems that use Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Tatar languages, which might point to the location of the attackers. Of course, we do not know where exactly these attackers are or how many other file-encryptors they might be controlling. Keep in mind that thousands of such threats exist – including Snake Ransomware, Devil Ransomware, and HackdoorCrypt3r Ransomware – and, unfortunately, tracking down the attackers behind them is usually impossible. In this report, we discuss the removal of Horsedeal Ransomware, and, hopefully, the information we provide will help some of our readers to protect their systems and not get scammed by cybercriminals.
If Horsedeal Ransomware has invaded your operating system, it is likely that a spam email, a malicious downloader, or an unpatched vulnerability is somehow involved. Ransomware cannot just appear on your computer. It has to slither in somehow, and, unfortunately, most victims are tricked into letting it in themselves. Once Horsedeal Ransomware is in, it can kill processes, execute commands, as well as drop and delete files. One of the commands executed by the threat ensures that all shadow copies of personal files are deleted. What does that mean? Shadow copies are backup copies of personal files that users of Windows systems can create. Luckily, this malware has no way of affecting backups stored online or on external drives that are not connected to the infected computer. We hope that you have such backups because if you do, you will be able to replace the encrypted files after the removal.
Horsedeal Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Horsedeal Ransomware also can terminate a number of processes running on your Windows operating system, including TeamViewer.exe, chrome.exe, wordpad.exe, msaccess.exe, or outlook.exe. Although the infection evades the files in the Windows directory, it can encrypt the files found outside of it. Once files are encrypted using a unique and complex algorithm, the “.horsedeal” extension is added to their names. This is where the name of Horsedeal Ransomware comes from. Next to the corrupted files, you should find “#Decryption#.txt.” This is a ransom note file that delivers a message from the attackers. They want you to contact them via ICQ (@bigbosshorse) or email (bigbosshorse@xmpp.jp) and also create a Pidgin client account. If you communicate with the attackers, they are likely to instruct you to pay for a decryptor. Of course, we do not recommend giving away your money because we believe that that would go to waste. The attackers would take your money, but they are unlikely to give anything back in return.
If you have backups of the encrypted files, you can fix the damage done by Horsedeal Ransomware. First, remove the infection, and then secure your operating system. Once that is done, you can transfer the backups onto the computer if you want to. You should also consider keeping them in external backups to ensure their safety. If you do not have backups, we regret to say that your files might be lost. As for the removal part, some might be able to delete Horsedeal Ransomware manually, but only if they can locate the launcher file. Otherwise, a legitimate anti-malware tool can certainly do the job. We recommend installing it even if you manage to delete the ransomware manually because you need the protection it can ensure. Remember that if your system stays unguarded, new threats could invade soon enough.
Remove Horsedeal Ransomware
- Delete recently downloaded suspicious files.
- Delete the ransom note file named #Decryption#.txt
- Empty Recycle Bin.
- Use a trusted malware scanner to inspect your system for leftovers.
In non-techie terms:
Horsedeal Ransomware encrypts personal files, terminates processes to prevent you from analyzing the threat, deletes shadow volume copies, and creates its own files. Needless to say, it is a pretty powerful threat, and if you have faced it, you need to address it immediately. We recommend implementing trusted anti-malware software to have Horsedeal Ransomware deleted automatically. The software could also protect you afterward. If that is not your preferred method of removal, choose another one. All that matters is that you delete this threat ASAP. It is also important to secure your system against similar and other kinds of malware, which is why it is crucial that you start taking better care of your operating system. Hopefully, you have backups of personal files stored outside the computer, and you can replace the encrypted files after the successful removal of the threat.