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Malware Damage Assessment and Recovery Experts

Ransomware : Your Feared Information Technology Nightmare
Ransomware has become an escalating cyber pandemic that poses an existential danger for organizations poorly prepared for an attack. Multiple generations of ransomware like the Reveton, Fusob, Locky, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been around for years and continue to inflict destruction. The latest strains of crypto-ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, LockBit or Egregor, as well as frequent unnamed viruses, not only do encryption of online information but also infiltrate any available system backup. Files synchronized to off-site disaster recovery sites can also be encrypted. In a poorly designed system, it can render automated restoration useless and basically sets the network back to zero.

Retrieving applications and information after a ransomware event becomes a race against the clock as the targeted business struggles to contain the damage, cleanup the crypto-ransomware, and resume mission-critical operations. Because ransomware takes time to replicate, assaults are often launched on weekends and holidays, when successful penetrations typically take longer to recognize. This multiplies the difficulty of quickly mobilizing and orchestrating a capable mitigation team.

Progent makes available an assortment of help services for securing businesses from ransomware events. Among these are user education to help identify and avoid phishing attempts, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, plus deployment of modern security solutions with artificial intelligence capabilities from SentinelOne to detect and extinguish new cyber attacks quickly. Progent also can provide the services of expert ransomware recovery professionals with the talent and commitment to reconstruct a compromised system as quickly as possible.

Progent's Crypto-Ransomware Restoration Support Services
Subsequent to a crypto-ransomware invasion, paying the ransom demands in cryptocurrency does not ensure that cyber criminals will respond with the keys to unencrypt any of your information. Kaspersky ascertained that seventeen percent of ransomware victims never restored their data even after having sent off the ransom, resulting in additional losses. The gamble is also expensive. Ryuk ransoms are commonly a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger organizations, the ransom demand can reach millions of dollars. The alternative is to piece back together the essential components of your Information Technology environment. Absent access to essential data backups, this requires a broad range of skill sets, well-coordinated team management, and the capability to work non-stop until the recovery project 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 pool of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes professionals who have attained top certifications in foundation technologies like Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cyber security consultants have garnered internationally-renowned industry certifications including CISA, CISSP, ISACA CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (Refer to Progent's certifications). Progent in addition has experience in financial systems and ERP application software. This breadth of experience gives Progent the skills to rapidly identify necessary systems and integrate the surviving pieces of your computer network environment after a ransomware event and rebuild them into a functioning system.

Progent's ransomware group deploys top notch project management applications to orchestrate the complex recovery process. Progent appreciates the urgency of working quickly and in concert with a client's management and IT resources to assign priority to tasks and to put the most important services back on-line as soon as humanly possible.

Customer Case Study: A Successful Ransomware Penetration Recovery
A business sought out Progent after their network system was penetrated by the Ryuk ransomware virus. Ryuk is generally considered to have been launched by North Korean government sponsored cybercriminals, possibly adopting technology leaked from America's NSA organization. Ryuk attacks specific businesses with limited room for disruption and is one of the most profitable versions of ransomware viruses. Headline victims include Data Resolution, a California-based data warehousing and cloud computing company, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's customer is a regional manufacturing business based in Chicago with around 500 employees. The Ryuk attack had disabled all company operations and manufacturing processes. Most of the client's data protection had been online at the time of the attack and were damaged. The client was actively seeking loans for paying the ransom demand (more than two hundred thousand dollars) and wishfully thinking for good luck, but ultimately called Progent.

Progent worked hand in hand the customer to quickly understand and prioritize the most important services that had to be restored to make it possible to resume company operations:

• Windows Active Directory
• Microsoft Exchange Email
• MRP System

In less than 2 days, Progent was able to restore Windows Active Directory to its pre-virus state. Progent then performed reinstallations and storage recovery of essential servers. All Exchange data and attributes were usable, which accelerated the restore of Exchange. Progent was also able to find non-encrypted OST data files (Outlook Off-Line Folder Files) on staff workstations in order to recover email messages. A recent offline backup of the customer's accounting/ERP software made it possible to return these required applications back servicing users. Although a lot of work was left to recover fully from the Ryuk damage, essential services were recovered rapidly:

Throughout the following month key milestones in the restoration process were made through tight collaboration between Progent team members and the client:

• Self-hosted web applications were restored without losing any information.
• The MailStore Microsoft Exchange Server with over 4 million historical messages was brought online and available for users.
• CRM/Customer Orders/Invoicing/AP/AR/Inventory Control capabilities were fully restored.
• A new Palo Alto 850 security appliance was brought on-line.
• 90% of the user desktops and notebooks were fully operational.

Conclusion
A possible company-ending disaster was averted due to results-oriented professionals, a wide array of technical expertise, and close collaboration. Although upon completion of forensics the ransomware virus incident detailed here should have been identified and blocked with current cyber security technology solutions and NIST Cybersecurity Framework or ISO/IEC 27001 best practices, user training, and well thought out incident response procedures for data protection and proper patching controls, the fact is that state-sponsored hackers from China, North Korea and elsewhere are tireless and will continue. If you do get hit by a ransomware attack, remember that Progent's roster of professionals has substantial experience in ransomware virus blocking, cleanup, and information systems restoration.

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

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent offers companies in Midland a variety of remote monitoring and security assessment services designed to help you to reduce your vulnerability to crypto-ransomware. These services utilize next-generation machine learning technology to uncover new strains of ransomware that can get past traditional signature-based anti-virus products.

• ProSight Managed Service Packages: for Small to Mid-size Businesses
  Progent's ProSight Managed IT Service Packages make it feasible for small and mid-size companies to utilize Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology to create leading-edge IT resilience. Progent takes care of the daily monitoring and maintenance for you, so your system expands smoothly without becoming an obstacle. For a low and predictable monthly price, Progent's experienced IT group can be your dependable technology safety net. Basic plans include RMM, security, monthly patching, and documentation. As your requirements grow, you can add low-cost subscriptions to best-of-breed solutions such as SaaS M365/Google Workspace backup, Multi-Factor Authentication, penetration testing, or WiFi management.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Monitoring
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop remote monitoring managed service that uses state-of-the-art remote monitoring and management techniques to keep your network operating at peak levels by checking the state of critical computers that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers a problem, an alert is transmitted immediately to your designated IT staff and your Progent engineering consultant so that any potential issues can be addressed before they have a chance to impact your network. Find out more about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop remote monitoring services.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Unified RMM for Networks, Servers, and Workstations
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software offers a centralized, cloud-based platform for managing your network, server, and desktop devices by offering tools for performing common tedious tasks. These include health checking, patch management, automated repairs, endpoint setup, backup and recovery, A/V defense, remote access, standard and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint profile reporting, and debugging help. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM spots a serious incident, it transmits an alert to your specified IT staff and your assigned Progent consultant so that potential issues can be fixed before they interfere with productivity. Find out more details about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure management service that makes it simple and inexpensive for small and mid-sized businesses to map, monitor, reconfigure and troubleshoot their networking appliances such as routers and switches, firewalls, and access points as well as servers, printers, client computers and other networked devices. Incorporating cutting-edge RMM technology, WAN Watch makes sure that network diagrams are kept current, captures and displays the configuration of virtually all devices connected to your network, tracks performance, and generates alerts when problems are detected. By automating complex management processes, ProSight WAN Watch can cut hours off ordinary tasks like network mapping, expanding your network, finding appliances that need critical updates, or resolving performance bottlenecks. Find out more about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure management services.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time and In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Applications
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding line of in-depth reporting utilities designed to integrate with the leading ticketing and network monitoring platforms such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting incorporates Microsoft Graph and features color coding to surface and contextualize critical issues such as inconsistent support follow-through or endpoints with missing patches. By exposing ticketing or network health problems clearly and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves productivity, reduces management overhead, and saves money. For more information, see ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring platforms.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Backup and Recovery Services
  Progent has partnered with advanced backup/restore software providers to create ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a family of subscription-based management outsourcing plans that deliver backup-as-a-service (BaaS). ProSight DPS products automate and track your backup operations and allow transparent backup and rapid recovery of vital files/folders, apps, system images, plus Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. ProSight DPS helps you avoid data loss caused by equipment failures, natural calamities, fire, malware like ransomware, user mistakes, malicious employees, or software glitches. Managed backup services in the ProSight DPS product family include ProSight Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight DPS ECHO Backup based on Barracuda dedicated storage, and ProSight MSP360 Cloud and On-prem Backup. Your Progent consultant can help you to identify which of these fully managed 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 uses the infrastructure of leading information security vendors to provide centralized management and comprehensive security for all your inbound and outbound email. The hybrid structure of Email Guard combines a Cloud Protection Layer with a local security gateway device to offer complete protection against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks (DHAs), and other email-borne malware. Email Guard's Cloud Protection Layer serves as a first line of defense and blocks the vast majority of unwanted email from making it to your security perimeter. This decreases your exposure to inbound attacks and conserves system bandwidth and storage. Email Guard's onsite security gateway device provides a deeper level of analysis for inbound email. For outgoing email, the onsite security gateway provides anti-virus and anti-spam protection, protection against data leaks, and email encryption. The onsite gateway can also assist Exchange Server to monitor and protect internal email traffic 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
  Progent's Duo MFA managed services utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to defend against compromised passwords by using two-factor authentication. Duo enables one-tap identity confirmation with Apple iOS, Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, whenever you log into a protected application and give your password you are asked to verify who you are on a unit that only you possess and that is accessed using a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A wide selection of out-of-band devices can be utilized as this second means of authentication including a smartphone or watch, a hardware token, a landline phone, etc. You can register multiple validation devices. For details about Duo two-factor identity validation services, go to Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for access security.

• Outsourced/Co-managed Call Center: Support Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Support Desk services permit your IT group to outsource Help Desk services to Progent or split responsibilities for Service Desk support transparently between your in-house support resources and Progent's nationwide pool of certified IT service technicians, engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Co-managed Service Desk offers a seamless supplement to your corporate IT support organization. End user interaction with the Help Desk, delivery of technical assistance, issue escalation, trouble ticket generation and updates, performance measurement, and management of the service database are cohesive whether incidents are taken care of by your internal support group, by Progent's team, or both. Read more about Progent's outsourced/shared Service Center services.

• Active Protection Against Ransomware: AI-based Ransomware Identification and Cleanup
  Progent's Active Protection Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection service that utilizes next generation behavior-based machine learning tools to guard endpoint devices and physical and virtual servers against modern malware assaults like ransomware and file-less exploits, which easily escape traditional signature-based AV tools. Progent Active Security Monitoring services safeguard on-premises and cloud-based resources and offers a single platform to manage the entire malware attack lifecycle including blocking, infiltration detection, containment, remediation, and forensics. Top capabilities include single-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and automatic system-wide immunization against new threats. Learn more about Progent's ransomware defense 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, maintain, find and safeguard information about your network infrastructure, processes, applications, and services. You can instantly locate passwords or IP addresses and be warned automatically about impending expirations of SSLs or warranties. By updating and organizing your IT infrastructure documentation, you can save as much as half of time wasted searching for vital information about your network. ProSight IT Asset Management includes a common location for holding and sharing all documents related to managing your business network such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also supports advanced automation for gathering and relating IT information. Whether you're making improvements, doing regular maintenance, or responding to a crisis, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the information you require when 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 software and firmware patch management offer businesses of all sizes a versatile and cost-effective solution for assessing, testing, scheduling, applying, and tracking updates to your dynamic information network. Besides maximizing the security and functionality of your IT network, Progent's patch management services permit your IT team to concentrate on line-of-business projects and activities that deliver maximum business value from your network. Read more about Progent's software/firmware update management support services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted Virtual Machines at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small business can have its key servers and applications hosted in a secure Tier III data center on a fast virtual machine host set up and maintained by Progent's IT support experts. With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the customer retains ownership of the data, the OS software, and the apps. Since the system is virtualized, it can be moved immediately to an alternate hosting environment without requiring a lengthy and technically risky configuration process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, you are not locked into one hosting service. Learn more about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  ProSight Active Security Monitoring is an endpoint protection service that utilizes SentinelOne's next generation behavior analysis tools to defend physical and virtual endpoint devices against new malware assaults like ransomware and email phishing, which routinely escape traditional signature-based AV tools. ProSight Active Security Monitoring safeguards local and cloud-based resources and provides a single platform to address the complete threat lifecycle including protection, identification, containment, remediation, and forensics. Top features include one-click rollback using Windows VSS and automatic network-wide immunization against new attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Physical and Virtual Endpoint Security and Microsoft Exchange Email Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection managed services deliver affordable multi-layer protection for physical servers and VMs, workstations, mobile devices, and Microsoft Exchange. ProSight ESP utilizes contextual security and advanced heuristics for continuously monitoring and reacting to security assaults from all attack vectors. ProSight ESP offers two-way firewall protection, intrusion alarms, endpoint control, and web filtering via leading-edge tools incorporated within a single agent accessible from a unified control. Progent's data protection and virtualization experts can assist your business to plan and implement a ProSight ESP deployment that addresses your company's unique needs and that allows you prove compliance with government and industry data security standards. Progent will assist you define and configure policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your network and respond to alarms that require immediate action. Progent's consultants can also assist your company to set up and verify a backup and disaster recovery system such as ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can get back in business quickly from a destructive cyber attack such as ransomware. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) unified physical and virtual endpoint security and Microsoft Exchange email filtering.