How to Remove .Aeur Ransomware

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software or virus used to lock up and encrypt the files on a computer. It is also known as a cryptovirus and crypto-ransomware.

The attacker encrypts the victim's files by using asymmetric cryptography while presenting their demand to make ransom payments in return for the decryption key.

How Does Ransomware Spread?

Ransomware spreads most often by using spam e-mails. These e-mails typically contain an attachment disguised as a legitimate file, such as an invoice, which can be opened by the user and contain ransomware. Ransomware is also distributed through malicious sites on the dark web and drive-by downloads.

A person infected with ransomware may also become infected from visiting a compromised website or downloading something they think is legitimate software but, in fact, is malicious software.

How Does Aeur Ransomware Work?

Aeur Ransomware is a Trojan program that infects a user's computer system and locks the victim's data by encrypting it. Aeur Ransomware also establishes persistence to load whenever a computer is rebooted automatically. Aeur Ransomware does this by leaving a text file called auto.bat in the %TEMP% folder of the user's system, which executes before Windows boots up to install itself before users can detect its presence on their computer.

How to Remove Aeur Ransomware

There are a few ways in which victims can remove Aeur Ransomware from a user's system. One option would be to restore the computer to a system image created before the ransomware was installed. This requires that a copy of the infected machine's disk is saved before infection, which is not always possible.

Users should also try attaching their hard drive via another system and scanning for viruses because sometimes antivirus software cannot scan as well on external media; but this does not always work either, because Aeur Ransomware may have been installed into the master boot record (MBR) of a machine, or may have overwritten other portions of an operating system's MBR.

A third option would be to restore the encrypted files from a backup if available.

Since Aeur Ransomware may have established persistence and will continue to load on each restart of the system, any one of these methods may not be enough to remove all components of this ransomware fully.

How to Protect My Computer From Ransomware

1. Practice safe browsing habits

Users should always be careful when opening attachments in e-mails or downloading from sites that may be unsafe and should not download or install anything they are unsure about. The ransomware may have a method of spreading malicious links on social media pages, so it is important to monitor what information and links you receive on these platforms. This goes for messages in chatrooms as well; if you're not sure about the link, don't click it.

2. Always keep antivirus software up-to-date

Several free tools help keep your system's antivirus updated. Users should also consider purchasing a more advanced anti-virus software for use on critical systems that will be harder to infect, such as those with large data storage and high CPU usage.

3. Keep security software up-to-date on all devices used for online activity

Network drives are often used to share files between multiple machines on the network. If you use these shared drives, you should disable file sharing in Windows and encrypt any encrypted files stored there as well. Users should also ensure that the antivirus software is always up-to-date and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing any new updates.

4. Make sure all other software is properly updated before you install software

If you are considering installing a new piece of software, such as an anti-phishing browser extension or a tool to monitor your email, make sure its developer has updated it before installing it. Users should also be cautious if installing a random piece of software from an unknown source; always verify that the file has come from an official developer or publisher.