What is Gendarmerie Ransomware?
Ransomware infections are usually programmed to display English ransom warnings, but the Gendarmerie ransomware is one of threats targeted at French-speaking computer users. The Gendarmerie infection, as the name suggests, is supposed to deceive computer users into thinking that they are dealing with law enforcement, which is also implied by the email fbi-cybercrimedivision@hotmail.com present in the infection's ransom note. The truth is that your computer is infected with a destructive threat encrypting files, and your response to the issue should be the removal of the infection. If you are familiar with ransomware and desire to remove the one you have right now, move down to the end of the review to find our removal guide. Interested readers are invited to continue reading to learn more about this harmful threat.
The Gendarmerie ransomware was created using the Hidden Tear ransomware building software. Hidden Tear is an open source platform that was initially created for educational purposes. Unfortunately, script kiddies soon found how to launch their ransomware campaigns. A typical ransomware based on Hidden Tear would encrypt files in the test directory located on the desktop, but the latest detections show that Hidden Tear have been upgraded to make more damaging ransomware threats.
How does the Gendarmerie ransomware work?
The Gendarmerie ransomware accesses your operating system surreptitiously and encrypts files. File encryption is widely used to protect data or transmit it safely; however, when in hands of cyber criminals, file encryption may lead to adverse consequences. Every encrypted file gets the additional extension .hacking. Moreover, every folder in which encoded files are stored also get a .txt file named Message_Important in which information about further actions is provided. A few year ago, a typical ransomware infection would display a full screen warning containing all the details about encryption. The latest ransomware threats tend to be less complex regarding the way they present attackers' demands. They would create a ransom note in each affected directory or one ransom note on the desktop.
According to the ransom warning, the victim has to pay a release fee of 100 Euros using the Neosurf system. More specifically, the victim is expected to purchase a Neosurf voucher, which comes with a code that can be used to make online purchases or money transactions. If everything goes to plan, the victim sends the unique code of the voucher to the attackers, which you should not do. You might be tempted to pay the ransom because of the attacker's suggestion to decrypt one file of your choice on condition that the file does not contain any valuable information. Even though this tactic may sound promising, there is nothing reliable about it. Nobody can guarantee you that you will get your files restored after submitting a payment. Our advice is that you ignore the requirement and remove the Gendarmerie ransomware from the computer as soon as you can.
The email address fbi-cybercrimedivision@hotmail.com has nothing to do with the actual FBI. No law enforcement agency would try to get unauthorized access to your data and take it hostage. The use of named of widely known institutions is an old strategy of online fraudsters, and you should beware of the fact that those who work in the underground market seek to find their way to your data in every way possible.
How does ransomware spread?
Ransomware is very often spread via emails, including spam and phishing emails. Spam is usually easily recognized by questionable commercial offers. Phishing emails may be slightly harder to recognize because they resemble emails sent from familiar companies, such as security firms or service providers. For example, you might be informed that some security issue might be present on the computer or that you have to access some web page by clicking a link in the email.
It is also important to be aware of bundled downloads. Malware creators stealthily bundle malware with freeware so that computers of unsuspecting computer users get infected once a setup file is downloaded or launched.
How to remove the Gendarmerie ransomware?
It is possible to manually removal virtually every malicious software; however, technical skills are necessary, especially when dealing with complex threats. The Gendarmerie ransomware is not as complex as other threats, so its removal does not require in-depth knowledge, but we strongly recommend relying on an anti-malware program. A reputable PC security program would fight off different threats attempting to access your operating system, which is not physically possible without a security tool. Your unprotected PC is an easy target, and you would not like to risk your valuable information again.
In case you are determined to remove the Gendarmerie ransomware manually, use the following removal guide.
Remove Gendarmerie ransomware
- Check the desktop for questionable files and delete them.
- Access the Downloads folder and remove suspicious-looking recently downloaded files.
- Check the Temp directory for questionable files and delete them if any spotted.
- Empty the Recycle bin.
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