.Hard Ransomware

.Hard

.Hard is a new representative of the malicious software category called Ransomware. The purpose of .Hard is to secretly encrypt the victim’s data and demand a ransom “fee” to decrypt it.

The .Hard file ransomware virus

Today’s article is dedicated to .Hard – one of the latest Ransomware representative. Like most other malicious programs of this kind, this threat encrypts the files of the users and then puts a threatening ransom note on their monitor to scare them into paying a ransom. Since you are on this page, however, we assume that you are don’t particularly like the idea of paying a ransom to the criminals behind .Hard. That’s why, in the next paragraphs, we’ll try to help you avoid the ransom payment by providing you with alternative file-recovery suggestions and instructions on how to remove the Ransomware.

The .Hard virus

The .Hard virus is a stealthy ransomware-based infection. In most cases, the .Hard virus will sneak inside the system without any symptoms and encrypt user files without further notice.

As noted, the Ransomware programs use file encryption as their weapon. The irony here is that the file encryption is a popular method of data protection which has an implementation in many sectors where highly important data needs to be kept safe and secure from unauthorized access. Under normal circumstances, the encrypted information is accessible with a special decryption key which only the owner of the information has. Without encryption, you wouldn’t be able to safely shop online or transfer money from and to your accounts. Sadly, the Ransomware attackers have found a way to use this data protection mechanism to block access to your files and blackmail you. They just lock your information with a complex algorithm and don’t give you the decryption key for it. This is a simple, yet very effective blackmailing scheme, and may web users fall victims to it.

The .Hard file encryption

The .Hard file encryption is a special code that keeps your files inaccessible. Decrypting the .Hard file encryption is only possible with a unique decryption key which is in the hands of the hackers who demand a ransom payment for it.

You may have noticed that the hackers have requested their ransom in bitcoins. This is a very popular online cryptocurrency because the bitcoins are very hard to trace and this ensures that the hackers are not identified. So, anyone who pays them actually inadvertently helps them keep their anonymity further and funds their criminal scheme. At the same time, there is absolutely no guarantee that the victims will obtain the decryption key that the hackers promise to send after the money has been transferred. In fact, it is quite common for the victims of Ransomware to be left with nothing but a lighter wallet and heavily encrypted files at the end.

So, in our view, risking your hard-earned money is not the best thing you could do. Of course, it is up to you to choose how to act but we do encourage you to try all other alternative options and maybe consider the ransom payment only in case everything else fails.

Having the .Hard virus removed, however, is the first and most important thing you should do as this will ensure that no further file encryption happens in your system. If you don’t know how to do that, in the guide below we’ve prepared a set of detailed instructions that can help you. You will also find a section with instructions that can assist you with potentially restoring some of your files. So, check them out and see if they can help you avoid the ransom payment. And from now on make sure to keep backups of your most important files on separate drives or a on clouds as this is the best preventive measure against accidental data loss.

SUMMARY:

Remove .Hard Ransomware

Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.

Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

We get asked this a lot, so we are putting it here: Removing a malware manually may take hours and damage your system in the process. We recommend downloading SpyHunter to see if it can detect the malware for you.

 *Read more details in the first ad on this page, EULA, Privacy Policy, and full terms for Free Remover.

Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab. Try to determine which processes are dangerous. 

Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:

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After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders. 

Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections.