24x7 Downers Grove Critical Crypto-Ransomware
Computer Virus Detection and Repair Experts

Crypto-Ransomware : Your Worst Information Technology Disaster
Ransomware has become an escalating cyberplague that poses an existential danger for organizations unprepared for an attack. Different iterations of ransomware such as CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, Locky, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been around for many years and continue to inflict harm. The latest versions of ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, LockBit or Egregor, as well as additional as yet unnamed viruses, not only do encryption of on-line critical data but also infiltrate most configured system backups. Information synched to cloud environments can also be ransomed. In a poorly architected data protection solution, this can make automated recovery useless and effectively sets the network back to square one.

Getting back services and information after a crypto-ransomware outage becomes a race against time as the targeted business struggles to contain, remove the ransomware, and restore enterprise-critical activity. Due to the fact that ransomware takes time to replicate, attacks are often sprung on weekends and holidays, when attacks tend to take longer to recognize. This compounds the difficulty of quickly mobilizing and organizing an experienced response team.

Progent makes available a variety of support services for protecting organizations from ransomware attacks. Among these are staff education to help recognize and avoid phishing attempts, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, plus installation of next-generation security gateways with machine learning technology from SentinelOne to identify and extinguish zero-day cyber attacks intelligently. Progent also provides the services of veteran ransomware recovery professionals with the track record and commitment to reconstruct a breached system as urgently as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Restoration Services
Subsequent to a ransomware attack, even paying the ransom in cryptocurrency does not guarantee that cyber criminals will respond with the needed codes to decrypt any or all of your data. Kaspersky determined that 17% of crypto-ransomware victims never recovered their files even after having paid the ransom, resulting in more losses. The risk is also costly. Ryuk ransoms are often a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom can be in the millions of dollars. The alternative is to re-install the vital elements of your IT environment. Absent access to complete data backups, this requires a wide range of skills, top notch team management, and the willingness to work 24x7 until the task is over.

For two decades, Progent has offered professional IT services for businesses throughout the US and has achieved Microsoft's Partnership certification status in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's pool of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes consultants who have earned top certifications in leading technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cyber security specialists have garnered internationally-renowned certifications including CISA, CISSP-ISSAP, ISACA CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (Refer to Progent's certifications). Progent also has experience with financial management and ERP software solutions. This breadth of expertise affords Progent the ability to efficiently determine important systems and re-organize the surviving components of your IT environment after a ransomware penetration and assemble them into an operational network.

Progent's security team has top notch project management applications to coordinate the complicated recovery process. Progent understands the urgency of acting swiftly and in concert with a client's management and Information Technology team members to assign priority to tasks and to put the most important applications back online as fast as possible.

Case Study: A Successful Ransomware Virus Recovery
A client escalated to Progent after their company was brought down by Ryuk ransomware. Ryuk is believed to have been developed by Northern Korean state hackers, suspected of adopting techniques exposed from the U.S. National Security Agency. Ryuk goes after specific organizations with limited ability to sustain disruption and is one of the most profitable versions of crypto-ransomware. High publicized targets include Data Resolution, a California-based data warehousing and cloud computing company, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's customer is a regional manufacturer located in Chicago and has about 500 employees. The Ryuk event had brought down all essential operations and manufacturing capabilities. Most of the client's system backups had been directly accessible at the start of the attack and were damaged. The client was pursuing financing for paying the ransom (exceeding $200K) and praying for the best, but ultimately made the decision to use Progent.

Progent worked together with the customer to quickly understand and assign priority to the essential areas that had to be restored to make it possible to resume business functions:

• Microsoft Active Directory
• Microsoft Exchange Email
• MRP System

In less than 2 days, Progent was able to re-build Active Directory to its pre-intrusion state. Progent then performed rebuilding and storage recovery of mission critical servers. All Microsoft Exchange Server ties and configuration information were usable, which accelerated the rebuild of Exchange. Progent was able to locate non-encrypted OST files (Microsoft Outlook Offline Folder Files) on user workstations and laptops in order to recover email data. A not too old off-line backup of the businesses manufacturing systems made them able to recover these essential programs back servicing users. Although significant work needed to be completed to recover completely from the Ryuk event, the most important services were returned to operations quickly:

Throughout the following few weeks critical milestones in the recovery process were achieved through close cooperation between Progent team members and the customer:

• Self-hosted web sites were restored with no loss of data.
• The MailStore Server with over four million historical emails was brought on-line and accessible to users.
• CRM/Product Ordering/Invoices/AP/Accounts Receivables (AR)/Inventory Control modules were 100 percent restored.
• A new Palo Alto 850 firewall was brought on-line.
• 90% of the user desktops were back into operation.

Conclusion
A possible business-ending disaster was evaded through the efforts of top-tier experts, a broad spectrum of IT skills, and close collaboration. Although in post mortem the ransomware virus penetration detailed here could have been stopped with advanced cyber security technology and ISO/IEC 27001 best practices, user training, and well thought out incident response procedures for data backup and applying software patches, the fact is that government-sponsored cybercriminals from Russia, North Korea and elsewhere are relentless and will continue. If you do get hit by a ransomware incursion, feel confident that Progent's roster of professionals has extensive experience in crypto-ransomware virus blocking, removal, and file recovery.

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

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent offers companies in Downers Grove a range of remote monitoring and security evaluation services designed to assist you to reduce the threat from ransomware. These services incorporate modern machine learning capability to detect zero-day variants of ransomware that can get past traditional signature-based anti-virus solutions.

• ProSight Managed Service Plans: for Small to Mid-size Businesses
  Progent's ProSight Managed IT Service Plans make it possible for small and mid-size businesses to deploy Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) solutions to achieve advanced IT resilience. Progent takes care of the daily monitoring and maintenance for you, so your network scales smoothly without holding you back. For an affordable and predictable monthly subscription, Progent's full-service IT team can be your dependable technology safety net. Basic plans include remote monitoring and management (RMM), security, automatic monthly patching, and reporting. As your needs expand, you can add low-cost subscriptions to advanced solutions like as SaaS M365/Google Workspace backup, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), penetration testing, or WiFi management.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Remote Monitoring
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop monitoring service that uses advanced remote monitoring and management (RMM) techniques to help keep your network operating efficiently by checking the health of critical assets that drive your business network. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers an issue, an alert is sent immediately to your specified IT personnel and your assigned Progent consultant so that all potential problems can be addressed before they have a chance to disrupt your network. Find out more details about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Unified RMM Solution for Networks, Servers, and Desktops
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software offers a unified, cloud-driven solution for monitoring and managing your network, server, and desktop devices by providing an environment for performing common time-consuming jobs. These can include health monitoring, patch management, automated repairs, endpoint deployment, backup and recovery, anti-virus response, secure remote access, built-in and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint status reports, and troubleshooting support. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM identifies a serious problem, it transmits an alarm to your specified IT management personnel and your assigned Progent technical consultant so that potential problems can be fixed before they impact productivity. Learn more details about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop remote monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  Progent's ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure management service that makes it easy and affordable for smaller organizations to map out, monitor, optimize and troubleshoot their connectivity appliances such as routers, firewalls, and access points as well as servers, client computers and other devices. Using state-of-the-art RMM technology, WAN Watch makes sure that network diagrams are always current, copies and displays the configuration information of almost all devices on your network, tracks performance, and generates notices when issues are discovered. By automating time-consuming management activities, WAN Watch can knock hours off common tasks like network mapping, expanding your network, finding appliances that require important software patches, or isolating performance bottlenecks. Learn more details about ProSight WAN Watch infrastructure monitoring and management services.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Applications
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding family of real-time reporting tools designed to work with the leading ticketing and network monitoring platforms such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and features color coding to highlight and contextualize critical issues like inconsistent support follow-up or machines with out-of-date AVs. By identifying ticketing or network health concerns concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting enhances productivity, reduces management hassle, and saves money. For more information, see ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring platforms.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Managed Backup and Recovery Services
  Progent has worked with advanced backup/restore technology providers to produce ProSight Data Protection Services, a portfolio of management outsourcing plans that deliver backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS services manage and track your data backup operations and allow transparent backup and fast recovery of vital files, apps, system images, and VMs. ProSight DPS helps you avoid data loss resulting from hardware breakdown, natural calamities, fire, cyber attacks like ransomware, human mistakes, ill-intentioned insiders, or software bugs. Managed services in the ProSight DPS portfolio include ProSight Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight ECHO Backup using Barracuda purpose-built storage, and ProSight MSP360 Hybrid Backup. Your Progent service representative can help you to determine which of these managed services are most appropriate for your network.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam filtering and email encryption service that incorporates the infrastructure of leading information security companies to deliver web-based management and world-class security for all your inbound and outbound email. The hybrid structure of Progent's Email Guard combines a Cloud Protection Layer with an on-premises security gateway device to offer advanced defense against spam, viruses, Denial of Service Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-borne malware. The Cloud Protection Layer acts as a preliminary barricade and blocks the vast majority of unwanted email from making it to your security perimeter. This reduces your vulnerability to inbound threats and conserves network bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's onsite security gateway appliance adds a deeper layer of analysis for incoming email. For outgoing email, the onsite gateway provides AV and anti-spam protection, protection against data leaks, and email encryption. The onsite gateway can also assist Microsoft Exchange Server to monitor and safeguard internal email that originates and ends within your corporate firewall. For more information, visit Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight Duo Two-Factor Authentication: Access Security, Endpoint Remediation, and Protected Single Sign-on (SSO)
  Progent's Duo MFA service plans incorporate Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against compromised passwords by using two-factor authentication. Duo supports one-tap identity confirmation with iOS, Android, and other out-of-band devices. Using Duo 2FA, when you sign into a secured online account and give your password you are asked to verify your identity via a unit that only you possess and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A wide range of out-of-band devices can be used as this second means of authentication including an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You can designate several validation devices. For more information about ProSight Duo two-factor identity authentication services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services.

• Outsourced/Co-managed Help Center: Call Center Managed Services
  Progent's Call Desk services permit your information technology staff to outsource Help Desk services to Progent or divide activity for Service Desk support transparently between your internal network support team and Progent's extensive pool of IT service engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Shared Help Desk Service offers a smooth supplement to your core IT support resources. End user interaction with the Service Desk, delivery of support, issue escalation, trouble ticket creation and tracking, efficiency measurement, and maintenance of the service database are consistent whether issues are taken care of by your core IT support group, by Progent, or by a combination. Read more about Progent's outsourced/shared Service Center services.

• Active Defense Against Ransomware: Machine Learning-based Ransomware Identification and Cleanup
  Progent's Active Defense Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection managed service that incorporates next generation behavior-based analysis tools to defend endpoint devices as well as servers and VMs against modern malware assaults such as ransomware and email phishing, which easily get by legacy signature-based anti-virus tools. Progent ASM services safeguard local and cloud-based resources and provides a single platform to automate the entire threat lifecycle including filtering, detection, mitigation, cleanup, and post-attack forensics. Key features include one-click rollback using Windows VSS and automatic system-wide immunization against new threats. Find out more about Progent's ransomware protection and cleanup services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation Management
  Progent's ProSight IT Asset Management service is a cloud-based IT documentation management service that allows you to capture, update, retrieve and safeguard data about your network infrastructure, processes, business apps, and services. You can instantly find passwords or serial numbers and be warned about impending expirations of SSLs ,domains or warranties. By cleaning up and managing your network documentation, you can save up to half of time wasted trying to find critical information about your network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a centralized location for holding and collaborating on all documents related to managing your business network such as standard operating procedures and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers a high level of automation for gathering and associating IT data. Whether you're planning enhancements, doing regular maintenance, or reacting to an emergency, ProSight IT Asset Management delivers the data you need when you need it. Read more about Progent's ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Patch Management: Software/Firmware Update Management Services
  Progent's support services for patch management provide businesses of all sizes a versatile and affordable alternative for evaluating, validating, scheduling, implementing, and tracking updates to your ever-evolving IT system. In addition to maximizing the security and reliability of your IT environment, Progent's software/firmware update management services free up time for your in-house IT staff to focus on line-of-business projects and activities that deliver the highest business value from your information network. Find out more about Progent's patch management support services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted Virtual Machines at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small or mid-size organization can have its critical servers and apps hosted in a protected fault tolerant data center on a high-performance virtual machine host set up and managed by Progent's network support professionals. Under Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting model, the client owns the data, the operating system software, and the apps. Because the environment is virtualized, it can be moved immediately to an alternate hosting environment without a lengthy and difficult configuration process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, your business is not tied a single hosting provider. Find out more details about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that incorporates SentinelOne's next generation behavior-based machine learning technology to defend physical and virtual endpoints against modern malware assaults like ransomware and file-less exploits, which easily escape traditional signature-based anti-virus products. ProSight Active Security Monitoring protects local and cloud resources and offers a unified platform to address the entire threat lifecycle including filtering, detection, containment, cleanup, and forensics. Top capabilities include one-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) endpoint protection and ransomware recovery.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Physical and Virtual Endpoint Protection and Exchange Email Filtering
  ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) services offer ultra-affordable in-depth protection for physical and virtual servers, desktops, mobile devices, and Exchange Server. ProSight ESP uses adaptive security and advanced heuristics for continuously monitoring and responding to security threats from all vectors. ProSight ESP delivers two-way firewall protection, penetration alarms, device control, and web filtering through leading-edge technologies incorporated within one agent managed from a unified control. Progent's security and virtualization consultants can assist your business to plan and configure a ProSight ESP deployment that meets your company's specific needs and that allows you prove compliance with legal and industry data protection regulations. Progent will assist you specify and configure policies that ProSight ESP will manage, and Progent will monitor your network and respond to alarms that call for urgent action. Progent can also help your company to install and verify a backup and restore system such as ProSight Data Protection Services so you can get back in business quickly from a destructive security attack such as ransomware. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified physical and virtual endpoint security and Exchange filtering.