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Crypto-Ransomware : Your Worst IT Disaster
Crypto-Ransomware has become an escalating cyber pandemic that presents an enterprise-level danger for businesses of all sizes vulnerable to an attack. Versions of crypto-ransomware such as Reveton, WannaCry, Bad Rabbit, Syskey and MongoLock cryptoworms have been out in the wild for many years and still cause harm. The latest variants of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, DopplePaymer, Conti or Egregor, along with frequent as yet unnamed malware, not only do encryption of on-line data files but also infect many available system protection. Information replicated to the cloud can also be corrupted. In a poorly designed environment, it can make automated restoration useless and effectively sets the datacenter back to zero.

Getting back applications and data after a ransomware outage becomes a sprint against time as the victim struggles to contain, remove the ransomware, and restore enterprise-critical operations. Since ransomware requires time to replicate, assaults are frequently sprung during nights and weekends, when successful penetrations may take more time to recognize. This compounds the difficulty of promptly assembling and orchestrating a knowledgeable response team.

Progent offers a range of help services for protecting enterprises from ransomware attacks. Among these are user education to become familiar with and not fall victim to phishing scams, ProSight Active Security Monitoring for remote monitoring and management, along with deployment of next-generation security solutions with AI technology from SentinelOne to detect and suppress day-zero cyber threats automatically. Progent in addition offers the services of experienced ransomware recovery engineers with the talent and commitment to rebuild a compromised network as rapidly as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Restoration Help
Subsequent to a ransomware attack, sending the ransom in cryptocurrency does not guarantee that cyber criminals will provide the needed keys to decrypt all your files. Kaspersky Labs determined that seventeen percent of ransomware victims never restored their files after having paid the ransom, resulting in more losses. The gamble is also expensive. Ryuk ransoms are often a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger organizations, the ransom demand can be in the millions. The alternative is to piece back together the mission-critical elements of your IT environment. Without the availability of essential system backups, this requires a wide range of IT skills, professional team management, and the capability to work continuously until the task is finished.

For twenty years, Progent has offered certified expert Information Technology services for companies throughout the US and has earned Microsoft's Partnership certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's group of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes consultants who have been awarded top industry certifications in leading technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cybersecurity specialists have earned internationally-renowned industry certifications including CISM, CISSP-ISSAP, ISACA CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (See Progent's certifications). Progent also has experience in financial systems and ERP applications. This breadth of expertise gives Progent the skills to rapidly understand necessary systems and re-organize the surviving parts of your computer network environment following a ransomware attack and configure them into an operational system.

Progent's ransomware group deploys top notch project management applications to coordinate the complex restoration process. Progent appreciates the importance of working swiftly and in concert with a customer's management and Information Technology staff to prioritize tasks and to put essential applications back on line as fast as humanly possible.

Client Case Study: A Successful Ransomware Attack Response
A business engaged Progent after their network system was brought down by Ryuk ransomware virus. Ryuk is thought to have been created by North Korean government sponsored cybercriminals, suspected of adopting approaches exposed from the U.S. NSA organization. Ryuk attacks specific companies with little or no ability to sustain disruption and is among the most profitable iterations of crypto-ransomware. Major organizations include Data Resolution, a California-based information warehousing and cloud computing firm, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's client is a single-location manufacturing company located in Chicago and has around 500 staff members. The Ryuk event had paralyzed all business operations and manufacturing capabilities. Most of the client's backups had been on-line at the time of the intrusion and were damaged. The client was actively seeking loans for paying the ransom demand (in excess of $200,000) and hoping for the best, but ultimately reached out to Progent.

Progent worked together with the customer to quickly identify and assign priority to the key areas that had to be addressed in order to continue company functions:

• Active Directory
• Electronic Messaging
• Accounting/MRP

In less than two days, Progent was able to rebuild Windows Active Directory to its pre-attack state. Progent then performed rebuilding and storage recovery on critical systems. All Exchange Server data and configuration information were intact, which facilitated the restore of Exchange. Progent was able to assemble non-encrypted OST data files (Microsoft Outlook Off-Line Folder Files) on various desktop computers in order to recover mail messages. A recent offline backup of the businesses financials/MRP systems made them able to restore these required programs back online. Although major work was left to recover completely from the Ryuk event, critical systems were returned to operations quickly:

Over the following month important milestones in the restoration project were achieved in tight cooperation between Progent consultants and the customer:

• Internal web applications were restored with no loss of data.
• The MailStore Microsoft Exchange Server containing more than 4 million historical emails was spun up and accessible to users.
• CRM/Orders/Invoices/AP/AR/Inventory Control capabilities were 100% recovered.
• A new Palo Alto 850 security appliance was set up and programmed.
• Ninety percent of the desktop computers were back into operation.

Conclusion
A likely business-ending disaster was avoided through the efforts of hard-working experts, a wide array of IT skills, and close teamwork. Although in retrospect the ransomware incident detailed here should have been identified and stopped with advanced cyber security systems and NIST Cybersecurity Framework best practices, user and IT administrator training, and properly executed incident response procedures for backup and proper patching controls, the reality is that government-sponsored criminal cyber gangs from China, Russia, North Korea and elsewhere are tireless and are an ongoing threat. If you do get hit by a ransomware penetration, remember that Progent's team of professionals has a proven track record in crypto-ransomware virus blocking, removal, and data restoration.

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

Additional Crypto-Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent offers businesses in Brasília a portfolio of online monitoring and security evaluation services designed to help you to minimize the threat from ransomware. These services utilize modern artificial intelligence capability to uncover new variants of ransomware that can get past legacy 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 utilize Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology to achieve advanced IT resilience. Progent handles the daily 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. Basic plans include RMM, cybersecurity, monthly patching, and documentation. As your requirements grow, you can add low-cost subscriptions to best-in-class options like as SaaS M365/Google Workspace backup, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), penetration testing, or WiFi management.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Monitoring and Management
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop monitoring service that uses state-of-the-art remote monitoring and management technology to help keep your network running efficiently by checking the state of critical assets that drive your business network. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers an issue, an alert is sent automatically to your specified IT management personnel and your Progent consultant so any potential problems can be addressed before they have a chance to impact productivity. Find out more details about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop remote monitoring consulting.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Unified RMM Solution for Networks, Servers, and Desktops
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software delivers a unified, cloud-based solution for managing your client-server infrastructure by offering an environment for performing common time-consuming jobs. These include health checking, update management, automated remediation, endpoint deployment, backup and recovery, anti-virus response, secure remote access, standard and custom scripts, resource inventory, endpoint profile reporting, and troubleshooting support. When ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM identifies a serious problem, it transmits an alarm to your designated IT management staff and your assigned Progent consultant so that potential problems can be taken care of before they interfere with productivity. Learn more details about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring consulting.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  Progent's ProSight WAN Watch is an infrastructure management service that makes it easy and inexpensive for smaller businesses to map, track, reconfigure and debug their connectivity hardware like routers, firewalls, and access points as well as servers, printers, client computers and other devices. Incorporating state-of-the-art Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, WAN Watch makes sure that network diagrams are kept updated, captures and manages the configuration of almost all devices connected to your network, monitors performance, and sends alerts when potential issues are detected. By automating complex management and troubleshooting processes, WAN Watch can cut hours off common chores like making network diagrams, expanding your network, locating appliances that require critical updates, or resolving performance issues. Learn more details about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure monitoring and management consulting.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Applications
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding suite of real-time and in-depth reporting plug-ins designed to integrate with the industry's top ticketing and remote network monitoring platforms including ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and utilizes color coding to surface and contextualize critical issues like spotty support follow-up or endpoints with missing patches. By exposing ticketing or network health problems concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves network value, reduces management hassle, and saves money. For more information, see ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring applications.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has worked with leading backup technology providers to produce ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a selection of subscription-based management outsourcing plans that deliver backup-as-a-service (BaaS). ProSight DPS products automate and monitor your data backup operations and enable transparent backup and rapid restoration of important files/folders, applications, images, and Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. ProSight DPS lets you protect against data loss caused by hardware breakdown, natural calamities, fire, malware such as ransomware, user mistakes, malicious insiders, or application bugs. Managed backup services available in the ProSight Data Protection Services product line include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight ECHO Backup using Barracuda purpose-built storage, and ProSight MSP360 Cloud and On-prem Backup. Your Progent expert can assist you to identify which of these fully managed backup 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 and virus filtering service that uses the technology of leading data security companies to provide centralized control and world-class security for all your inbound and outbound email. The hybrid structure of Progent's Email Guard managed service integrates a Cloud Protection Layer with a local security gateway appliance to provide complete defense against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-borne threats. Email Guard's Cloud Protection Layer serves as a preliminary barricade and blocks most threats from reaching your security perimeter. This reduces your exposure to inbound attacks and conserves system bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's onsite gateway device adds a deeper layer of inspection for inbound email. For outbound email, the local gateway provides AV and anti-spam filtering, policy-based Data Loss Prevention, and email encryption. The onsite gateway can also assist Exchange Server to track and protect internal email traffic that originates and ends inside your security perimeter. For more details, see ProSight Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight Duo Multi-Factor Authentication: ID Confirmation, Endpoint Policy Enforcement, and Secure Single Sign-on
  Progent's Duo MFA service plans utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against compromised passwords through the use of two-factor authentication. Duo enables one-tap identity verification with Apple iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, whenever you log into a protected application and give your password you are asked to confirm who you are via a unit that only you possess and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A wide range of devices can be utilized as this second means of ID validation including an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You may designate multiple verification devices. For more information about Duo identity validation services, see Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services.

• Progent's Outsourced/Shared Call Center: Help Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Call Center managed services enable your IT group to outsource Call Center services to Progent or divide activity for Help Desk services transparently between your internal network support team and Progent's nationwide roster of IT support engineers and subject matter experts (SMEs). Progent's Shared Help Desk Service provides a smooth supplement to your corporate support resources. End user access to the Help Desk, delivery of support services, escalation, ticket generation and tracking, performance metrics, and management of the service database are cohesive regardless of whether issues are resolved by your core support organization, by Progent, or both. Learn more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Call Center services.

• Progent Active Protection Against Ransomware: AI-based Ransomware Detection and Cleanup
  Progent's Active Protection Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection solution that incorporates cutting edge behavior analysis tools to defend endpoints as well as servers and VMs against modern malware attacks like ransomware and file-less exploits, which easily evade traditional signature-matching AV tools. Progent Active Security Monitoring services protect on-premises and cloud resources and provides a unified platform to manage the entire malware attack lifecycle including protection, identification, mitigation, remediation, and post-attack forensics. Top features include one-click rollback using Windows VSS and automatic network-wide immunization against new attacks. Read more about Progent's ransomware protection and recovery 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 capture, update, retrieve and safeguard data related to your IT infrastructure, processes, business apps, and services. You can instantly find passwords or serial numbers and be alerted automatically about impending expirations of SSLs ,domains or warranties. By cleaning up and managing your IT infrastructure documentation, you can save up to 50% of time spent looking for vital information about your network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a centralized location for storing and collaborating on all documents related to managing your network infrastructure such as recommended procedures and How-To's. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers a high level of automation for gathering and associating IT data. Whether you're planning improvements, doing regular maintenance, or reacting to a crisis, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the data you require the instant you need it. Learn more about 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 flexible and cost-effective alternative for evaluating, testing, scheduling, implementing, and tracking updates to your ever-evolving IT system. In addition to maximizing the security and functionality of your IT network, Progent's patch management services free up time for your in-house IT staff to focus on more strategic projects and tasks that derive maximum business value from your network. Learn more about Progent's software/firmware update management support services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted VMs at Progent's Tier III Data Center
  With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small organization can have its key servers and apps hosted in a secure Tier III data center on a high-performance virtual machine host configured and managed by Progent's network support professionals. With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the customer retains ownership of the data, the OS software, and the applications. Because the system is virtualized, it can be ported immediately to a different hosting environment without a time-consuming and difficult reinstallation procedure. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, your business is not locked into a single hosting provider. Find out 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 utilizes SentinelOne's next generation behavior analysis technology to guard physical and virtual endpoints against new malware attacks such as ransomware and file-less exploits, which routinely evade legacy signature-based AV tools. ProSight Active Security Monitoring safeguards local and cloud-based resources and offers a single platform to automate the complete threat lifecycle including blocking, identification, mitigation, remediation, and post-attack forensics. Key features include one-click rollback using Windows VSS and automatic network-wide immunization against new threats. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Physical and Virtual Endpoint Security and Microsoft Exchange Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection managed services offer affordable in-depth protection for physical servers and virtual machines, workstations, mobile devices, and Microsoft Exchange. ProSight ESP utilizes contextual security and advanced heuristics for round-the-clock monitoring and reacting to security threats from all attack vectors. ProSight ESP provides firewall protection, intrusion alerts, device control, and web filtering through cutting-edge tools packaged within one agent managed from a single control. Progent's data protection and virtualization experts can help your business to plan and implement a ProSight ESP deployment that addresses your organization's unique requirements and that allows you demonstrate compliance with legal and industry information protection regulations. Progent will help you specify and configure policies that ProSight ESP will manage, and Progent will monitor your IT environment and react to alerts that require urgent attention. Progent's consultants can also help you to set up and test a backup and disaster recovery system like ProSight Data Protection Services so you can get back in business quickly from a destructive cyber attack such as ransomware. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified endpoint security and Exchange filtering.