St. Louis 24/7/365 Critical Ransomware
Computer Malware Damage Assessment and Remediation Experts

Ransomware : Your Feared IT Catastrophe
Ransomware has become a modern cyberplague that represents an enterprise-level threat for businesses of all sizes poorly prepared for an assault. Different versions of ransomware like the Dharma, WannaCry, Locky, Syskey and MongoLock cryptoworms have been circulating for many years and still inflict harm. Newer variants of ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, DopplePaymer, Snatch or Nephilim, along with more as yet unnamed viruses, not only do encryption of on-line files but also infect most configured system restores and backups. Information synched to the cloud can also be held hostage. In a vulnerable data protection solution, it can make automated restore operations useless and effectively sets the entire system back to square one.

Retrieving applications and information following a ransomware event becomes a sprint against time as the targeted organization tries its best to contain the damage, eradicate the ransomware, and restore business-critical activity. Since ransomware needs time to replicate, assaults are frequently sprung during nights and weekends, when penetrations tend to take longer to identify. This compounds the difficulty of rapidly marshalling and coordinating a knowledgeable response team.

Progent provides an assortment of solutions for protecting enterprises from ransomware penetrations. These include team education to become familiar with and not fall victim to phishing attempts, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, along with setup and configuration of modern security appliances with AI technology from SentinelOne to identify and quarantine zero-day cyber threats quickly. Progent in addition offers the assistance of experienced ransomware recovery professionals with the track record and commitment to reconstruct a compromised system as rapidly as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Restoration Support Services
After a crypto-ransomware attack, sending the ransom demands in cryptocurrency does not ensure that distant criminals will return the needed keys to unencrypt any or all of your files. Kaspersky ascertained that 17% of ransomware victims never recovered their information even after having paid the ransom, resulting in additional losses. The risk is also very costly. Ryuk ransoms are typically a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom demand can reach millions. The fallback is to re-install the vital parts of your IT environment. Without the availability of full system backups, this requires a broad range of IT skills, top notch project management, and the willingness to work 24x7 until the recovery project is done.

For decades, Progent has made available professional Information Technology services for businesses across the US and has achieved Microsoft's Partnership certification status in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's group of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes engineers who have earned high-level industry certifications in foundation technologies like Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cybersecurity consultants have earned internationally-renowned certifications including CISM, CISSP-ISSAP, ISACA CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (See Progent's certifications). Progent in addition has experience in accounting and ERP applications. This breadth of experience provides Progent the ability to knowledgably determine necessary systems and integrate the remaining pieces of your computer network system following a ransomware penetration and configure them into a functioning network.

Progent's recovery group deploys top notch project management tools to orchestrate the complicated restoration process. Progent appreciates the urgency of acting quickly and in unison with a client's management and IT staff to prioritize tasks and to get key systems back on line as fast as humanly possible.

Client Case Study: A Successful Ransomware Intrusion Response
A small business hired Progent after their organization was brought down by the Ryuk crypto-ransomware. Ryuk is thought to have been launched by North Korean state hackers, possibly using approaches exposed from the United States NSA organization. Ryuk seeks specific organizations with limited room for disruption and is among the most profitable versions of ransomware viruses. Well Known targets include Data Resolution, a California-based information warehousing and cloud computing company, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's client is a single-location manufacturing company based in Chicago with about 500 workers. The Ryuk intrusion had frozen all company operations and manufacturing capabilities. The majority of the client's system backups had been on-line at the beginning of the attack and were eventually encrypted. The client was pursuing financing for paying the ransom (in excess of two hundred thousand dollars) and wishfully thinking for good luck, but ultimately made the decision to use Progent.

Progent worked together with the client to quickly determine and assign priority to the most important systems that needed to be restored to make it possible to restart company functions:

• Windows Active Directory
• Exchange Server
• Accounting and Manufacturing Software

Within two days, Progent was able to re-build Active Directory to its pre-attack state. Progent then initiated reinstallations and hard drive recovery on mission critical applications. All Exchange data and configuration information were usable, which greatly helped the restore of Exchange. Progent was also able to collect intact OST files (Outlook Email Offline Data Files) on various workstations and laptops to recover mail information. A not too old off-line backup of the customer's financials/ERP software made them able to restore these required applications back servicing users. Although major work needed to be completed to recover totally from the Ryuk virus, critical systems were recovered quickly:

During the next month key milestones in the recovery project were made through close cooperation between Progent engineers and the customer:

• Self-hosted web applications were restored without losing any data.
• The MailStore Server containing more than four million historical emails was brought on-line and accessible to users.
• CRM/Orders/Invoicing/Accounts Payable/AR/Inventory Control capabilities were 100% functional.
• A new Palo Alto 850 firewall was brought online.
• Nearly all of the user desktops were being used by staff.

Conclusion
A likely enterprise-killing catastrophe was avoided due to results-oriented experts, a wide array of knowledge, and close collaboration. Although in hindsight the ransomware virus attack described here would have been identified and stopped with modern cyber security systems and NIST Cybersecurity Framework best practices, user and IT administrator training, and appropriate security procedures for backup and proper patching controls, the fact is that state-sponsored cybercriminals from Russia, China and elsewhere are tireless and represent an ongoing threat. If you do fall victim to a ransomware incident, feel confident that Progent's roster of professionals has extensive experience in ransomware virus blocking, mitigation, and data restoration.

To read or download a PDF version of this ransomware incident report, click:
Progent's Ransomware Virus Recovery Case Study Datasheet. (PDF - 282 KB)

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent can provide businesses in St. Louis a variety of remote monitoring and security assessment services to assist you to reduce your vulnerability to ransomware. These services incorporate next-generation machine learning technology to detect new variants of crypto-ransomware that are able to escape detection by traditional signature-based security solutions.

• ProSight Managed Service Packages: for Small to Mid-size Businesses
  Progent's ProSight Managed IT Service Plans make it realistic for small and mid-size companies to deploy Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology to create advanced IT resilience. Progent takes care of the necessary monitoring and management for you, so your system scales smoothly without becoming an obstacle. For an affordable and predictable monthly subscription, Progent's full-service IT group can be your dependable technology safety net. Entry-level plans include remote monitoring and management, security, monthly patching, and documentation. As your needs grow, you can add low-cost subscriptions to best-in-class options such as SaaS M365/Google Workspace backup and restore, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), pen testing, or WiFi management.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop monitoring managed service that incorporates advanced remote monitoring and management technology to help keep your network operating efficiently by checking the health of vital assets that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers an issue, an alarm is transmitted immediately to your specified IT management staff and your Progent consultant so any potential problems can be addressed before they have a chance to disrupt your network. Learn more details about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Centralized RMM Solution for Networks, Servers, and Workstations
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software delivers a unified, cloud-driven platform for monitoring and managing your client-server infrastructure by offering tools for performing common time-consuming tasks. These can include health checking, patch management, automated remediation, endpoint deployment, backup and restore, anti-virus response, secure remote access, standard and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint status reporting, and debugging support. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM spots a serious issue, it transmits an alert to your specified IT management staff and your Progent technical consultant so potential issues can be taken care of before they interfere with productivity. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Management
  Progent's ProSight WAN Watch is an infrastructure management service that makes it simple and inexpensive for smaller organizations to diagram, track, optimize and troubleshoot their connectivity hardware like switches, firewalls, and access points plus servers, printers, endpoints and other networked devices. Incorporating state-of-the-art Remote Monitoring and Management technology, WAN Watch ensures that infrastructure topology diagrams are kept updated, copies and manages the configuration information of almost all devices connected to your network, tracks performance, and generates notices when issues are detected. By automating time-consuming management processes, WAN Watch can cut hours off common tasks like network mapping, reconfiguring your network, locating devices that require important updates, or isolating performance bottlenecks. Find out more about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure management services.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Platforms
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding line of real-time and in-depth reporting tools created to work with the top ticketing and remote network monitoring programs such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and utilizes color coding to highlight and contextualize critical issues like spotty support follow-through or machines with missing patches. By exposing ticketing or network health problems concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting enhances network value, reduces management overhead, and saves money. For details, see ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring platforms.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Managed Backup and Recovery Services
  Progent has worked with leading backup/restore technology providers to create ProSight Data Protection Services, a family of management outsourcing plans that provide backup-as-a-service (BaaS). ProSight DPS products manage and track your data backup operations and allow non-disruptive backup and rapid recovery of important files/folders, apps, images, plus virtual machines. ProSight DPS helps your business recover from data loss resulting from hardware breakdown, natural calamities, fire, cyber attacks like ransomware, human mistakes, malicious employees, or software bugs. Managed backup services available in the ProSight Data Protection Services portfolio include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight DPS ECHO Backup based on Barracuda purpose-built hardware, and ProSight MSP360 Hybrid Backup. Your Progent service representative can assist you to determine which of these fully managed backup services are best suited for your network.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam and virus filtering service that incorporates the technology of leading information security vendors to provide centralized control and world-class protection for your inbound and outbound email. The powerful structure of Progent's Email Guard combines a Cloud Protection Layer with an on-premises gateway appliance to provide complete protection against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, DHAs, and other email-borne malware. The Cloud Protection Layer serves as a first line of defense and keeps the vast majority of threats from making it to your network firewall. This decreases your exposure to inbound attacks and conserves system bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's on-premises security gateway appliance adds a further level of analysis for inbound email. For outbound email, the on-premises gateway provides AV and anti-spam filtering, DLP, and email encryption. The on-premises gateway can also help Exchange Server to monitor and safeguard internal email that stays within your security perimeter. For more details, see Email Guard spam filtering and data leakage protection.

• ProSight Duo Multi-Factor Authentication: ID Confirmation, Endpoint Remediation, and Protected Single Sign-on (SSO)
  Progent's Duo MFA managed services utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to defend against compromised passwords through the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables single-tap identity verification with Apple iOS, Android, and other personal devices. Using Duo 2FA, when you sign into a protected online account and enter your password you are requested to verify your identity via a device that only you have and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A wide range of devices can be utilized for this added form of authentication such as a smartphone or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You can register multiple verification devices. For details about Duo two-factor identity validation services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services.

• Progent's Outsourced/Shared Call Desk: Support Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Call Desk managed services allow your information technology staff to offload Call Center services to Progent or split activity for Service Desk support seamlessly between your internal support resources and Progent's extensive roster of IT service technicians, engineers and subject matter experts (SMEs). Progent's Co-managed Help Desk Service offers a smooth extension of your internal IT support organization. User access to the Help Desk, provision of support services, escalation, ticket generation and updates, efficiency metrics, and maintenance of the support database are cohesive regardless of whether issues are resolved by your corporate IT support staff, by Progent's team, or by a combination. Learn more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Help Desk services.

• Active Protection Against Ransomware: AI-based Ransomware Identification and Remediation
  Progent's Active Defense Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) solution that incorporates next generation behavior analysis technology to defend endpoint devices as well as physical and virtual servers against new malware attacks such as ransomware and email phishing, which easily escape traditional signature-matching AV tools. Progent ASM services protect local and cloud resources and provides a single platform to automate the entire threat progression including blocking, identification, mitigation, remediation, and forensics. Top features include single-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Learn more about Progent's ransomware defense and cleanup services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation Management
  ProSight IT Asset Management service is a cloud-based IT documentation management service that makes it easy to create, maintain, find and safeguard information about your network infrastructure, processes, applications, and services. You can quickly find passwords or serial numbers and be warned about impending expirations of SSL certificates ,domains or warranties. By updating and organizing your IT infrastructure documentation, you can save up to 50% of time spent trying to find critical information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a common repository for holding and collaborating on all documents related to managing your network infrastructure like standard operating procedures (SOPs) and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also supports a high level of automation for gathering and relating IT information. Whether you're making improvements, performing maintenance, or responding to a crisis, ProSight IT Asset Management delivers the data you need the instant you need it. Find out more about Progent's ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Progent's Patch Management: Software/Firmware Update Management Services
  Progent's managed services for patch management offer organizations of all sizes a versatile and affordable alternative for evaluating, validating, scheduling, applying, and documenting updates to your ever-evolving IT system. In addition to optimizing the security and functionality of your computer network, Progent's software/firmware update management services allow your IT staff to concentrate on more strategic projects and tasks that deliver maximum business value from your information network. Find out more about Progent's software/firmware update management services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted VMs at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small or mid-size business can have its critical servers and apps hosted in a secure Tier III data center on a high-performance virtual host configured and managed by Progent's network support experts. Under the ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the client owns the data, the operating system platforms, and the apps. Because the system is virtualized, it can be ported easily to a different hardware environment without requiring a time-consuming and difficult reinstallation process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, you are not tied a single hosting provider. Learn more about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  ProSight Active Security Monitoring is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that incorporates SentinelOne's cutting edge behavior-based machine learning technology to defend physical and virtual endpoints against new malware attacks like ransomware and email phishing, which routinely get by legacy signature-based AV products. ProSight Active Security Monitoring safeguards local and cloud-based resources and provides a single platform to automate the complete malware attack progression including filtering, detection, mitigation, remediation, and forensics. Key features include single-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service and automatic system-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Read more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Endpoint Security and Exchange Email Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection services offer ultra-affordable in-depth protection for physical servers and virtual machines, workstations, smartphones, and Exchange Server. ProSight ESP utilizes adaptive security and advanced heuristics for continuously monitoring and responding to cyber assaults from all vectors. ProSight ESP offers firewall protection, intrusion alerts, device control, and web filtering through leading-edge tools packaged within one agent managed from a single console. Progent's security and virtualization consultants can assist your business to plan and configure a ProSight ESP environment that meets your organization's specific needs and that allows you demonstrate compliance with legal and industry information security regulations. Progent will assist you define and implement policies that ProSight ESP will manage, and Progent will monitor your IT environment and react to alarms that call for immediate attention. Progent's consultants can also help your company to install and test a backup and restore solution such as ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can get back in business rapidly from a destructive cyber attack like ransomware. Read more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) unified endpoint protection and Microsoft Exchange filtering.