Albany Ransomware Filtering and Remediation Expertise

Ransomware has become the weapon of choice for cybercriminals and bad-actor governments, posing a potentially existential threat to companies that are breached. The latest strains of crypto-ransomware target everything, including backup, making even partial restoration a complex and costly process. New variations of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Phobos, Snatch and Egregor have emerged, displacing WannaCry, Spora, and NotPetya in notoriety, elaborateness, and destructiveness.

Most crypto-ransomware infections are the result of innocent-seeming emails that include dangerous links or attachments, and a high percentage are so-called "zero-day" variants that can escape the defenses of legacy signature-matching antivirus tools. While user training and up-front identification are important to protect your network against ransomware attacks, leading practices dictate that you assume some malware will eventually succeed and that you implement a solid backup solution that enables you to repair the damage rapidly with little if any losses.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Checkup is a low-cost service built around an online interview with a Progent security consultant experienced in ransomware protection and recovery. During this interview Progent will collaborate directly with your Albany network managers to collect pertinent information about your security profile and backup processes. Progent will use this data to generate a Basic Security and Best Practices Report documenting how to adhere to leading practices for configuring and administering your cybersecurity and backup systems to prevent or clean up after a crypto-ransomware attack.

Progent's Basic Security and Best Practices Report focuses on vital issues associated with crypto-ransomware defense and restoration recovery. The review addresses:

Cybersecurity

• Effective use of admin accounts
• Appropriate NTFS and SMB permissions
• Proper firewall settings
• Secure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) configuration
• Guidance for AntiVirus (AV) filtering selection and deployment

• Split permission architecture for backup integrity
• Protecting critical servers such as Active Directory
• Offsite backups including cloud backup to Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts or steals a victim's files so they cannot be used or are made publicly available. Crypto-ransomware sometimes locks the target's computer. To avoid the damage, the victim is required to pay a specified ransom, typically via a crypto currency like Bitcoin, within a short period of time. It is never certain that paying the extortion price will restore the damaged files or prevent its publication. Files can be altered or deleted throughout a network based on the target's write permissions, and you cannot solve the military-grade encryption algorithms used on the compromised files. A common ransomware attack vector is booby-trapped email, in which the victim is lured into interacting with by means of a social engineering exploit called spear phishing. This makes the email message to appear to come from a trusted source. Another common attack vector is a poorly secured Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port.

The ransomware variant CryptoLocker opened the modern era of crypto-ransomware in 2013, and the damage caused by different strains of ransomware is estimated at billions of dollars per year, roughly doubling every other year. Famous attacks are Locky, and NotPetya. Recent high-profile threats like Ryuk, Sodinokibi and CryptoWall are more sophisticated and have caused more damage than earlier versions. Even if your backup/recovery procedures allow you to restore your encrypted files, you can still be threatened by so-called exfiltration, where ransomed documents are exposed to the public. Because new variants of ransomware are launched daily, there is no guarantee that traditional signature-based anti-virus filters will detect the latest attack. If threat does appear in an email, it is critical that your end users have learned to be aware of social engineering tricks. Your ultimate protection is a solid scheme for performing and retaining offsite backups and the use of dependable recovery platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Preparedness Consultation in Albany
For pricing information and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Vulnerability Evaluation can bolster your protection against ransomware in Albany, call Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.