Aesir Virus File Ransomware Removal

Remove .Aesir Virus File Ransomware in just a few easy steps with our removal guide which works with all versions of Windows.

Whether you have heard about it before, or you are facing it now, having a good understanding of threats such as Ransomware can really be a life saver. This type of malware has been rapidly spreading and infecting users worldwide with unheard of success. One of the latest representatives of this notorious Ransomware family is called Aesir, and in this guide, we are going to discuss its methods of distribution, infection and file encryption. If you stay with us until the end, you will find out more about the ways you can protect your system and prevent its infection as well as a removal guide that may help you remove the malware if it has invaded your computer.

Aesir: a better understanding of the threat

Aesir is yet another dreadful addition to the Ransomware family, which puts a challenge to security experts and anti-virus developers to come up with an effective solution to the threat. As a typical cryptovirus, this malware gets inside your machine undetected, locks all your data through a file encryption algorithm and requires you to pay a huge amount of money as ransom if you want to get your files back. The file encryption is not an actual malicious thing, and it is used by many institutions and organizations as one of the safest and most secure data protection methods. However, when incorporated in a criminal blackmail scheme where unscrupulous hackers lock your data to blackmail you, it could be a very malicious action. And what makes it even worse is that a threat like Aesir usually gets transmitted with the help of a Trojan horse that creates a vulnerability to the infected system and helps the cryptovirus remain undetected by the antivirus software while it silently performs its malicious encryption.

The process of encryption and the symptoms…

The Aesir encryption process usually takes some time until it is completed. Once the malware finds its way through the security holes that the Trojan has created, it starts to immediately infiltrate the system for commonly used files such as documents, music, images, games, movies, projects and all sorts of data found on the drives. Then, it starts to convert them all to a very complex combination of symbols that become impossible to open with any program. The threat tries to remain undetected while performing its malicious encryption, but in some cases, the process could be manually detected if the victims notice the unusually high amounts or RAM and CPU usage. The computer may significantly slow down as well. In such case, the best is to quickly unplug the device from all the networks and external devices and shut it down. Then, do not turn it on until you contact a security specialist if you suspect that a Ransomware has been invaded it.

If the files have already been encrypted…

Unfortunately, in most of the cases, Aesir is revealed only after it has encrypted the victims’ files and has placed its demands on the screen in a disturbing ransom note. The hackers behind this Ransomware usually promise to send the victims a secret decryption key, which will unlock the encrypted files if the required payment is made. Normally, they ask for payments in Bitcoins, which ensures that the transaction is untraceable and the crooks cannot be detected by the authorities. If you have been

prompted to that scheme, we should warn you that this is a trap. The crooks are only interested in getting your money and it is very unlikely that you will really get the promised decryption key, let alone to decrypt your files. Moreover, there is absolutely no guarantee that if you get any key it will work, but if you agree to pay, you will surely give your money to a group of cyber criminals, who will keep terrorizing you and other users on the web. Therefore, removing the Ransomware may be a better idea and in the guide below we will show you how you can do that. And even though we cannot guarantee that it will restore your computer to the state it was before the encryption, it is still a better alternative to the ransom payment that may remove the nasty threat from your machine.

How to prevent Ransomware?

Protecting your computer and all other devices against threats like Aesir is the best you can do if you want to minimize the changes of getting infected. For that, the best is to avoid clicking on suspicious content on the web such as randomly popping ads, aggressive pop-ups, spam emails, various attachments, torrents and sketchy sites as this is where Ransomware likes to hide the most. To prevent system vulnerabilities, always update your system to the latest version and make sure you are getting the latest security patches. A good antivirus may also be of help when it comes to detecting such threats, but the good old backups are still your best chance, so make sure you regularly backup all your important data, this way even if you get infected, you could easily restore your files.

Aesir File Virus Ransomware Removal

Step 1 – hunt for active virus processes

To do this, you will have to make use of your Task Manager. Use the R-Ctrl+Shift+Esc key combination in order to open it. Now, go to the Processes tab and sort the list by order of CPU and/or memory used. Now, look through the list – if any process is using up very high amounts of memory or has a suspicious name or description, then it might be a process ran by the Ransomware. End that process immediately and move on to the next step.

Now open your start menu and search for MSConfig. Go to the Startup section and see if there are any suspicious entries with unknown manufacturers. Disable anything that seems illegitimate. Keep in mind that the virus may duplicate the names of real programs!

Step 2 – prepare your PC for the removal process

Next thing you need to do is boot your machine into Safe Mode and reveal all hidden files and folders. Click on the links for detailed instructions.

Step 3 – find and delete virus-related files

1. Open your Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Run window (Winkey+R) and pressing Enter, then open Edit->Find. Search for the virus name.
2. If there are any results, delete those registry entries.
3. Open your Start Menu and in the search field type each of the following and go to the corresponding location:
   1. %AppData%
   2. %LocalAppData%
   3. %ProgramData%
   4. %WinDir%
   5. %Temp%
4. Delete everything from Temp. In the other folders, see if there has been added anything recently that seems suspicious. If that is the case, delete the new entries.

Step 4 – look for Hosts file manipulation

1. Use the Win-key+R combination to open Run and hit enter after you copy-paste the following:

notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts

2. A notepad file will open. If your PC has been infected, may be IP addresses at the bottom of the file. Delete them.

• Note that if those IP’s are either 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1, then they are not coming from a virus, thus this is no indication of an infection.

Step 5 – decrypt already encrypted files

For this, you will first have to identify the virus you are dealing with and then acquire the corresponding decryptor tool that can help you decrypt your files.

1. To identify the Ransomware, go to this link and follow the instructions.
2. Now that you know what you are dealing it, make a search for how to decrypt ransomware and look for a decryptor for your specific virus.