24/7 Valencia Immediate Crypto-Ransomware
Virus Identification and Removal Consulting

Ransomware : Your Crippling IT Nightmare
Ransomware has become an escalating cyberplague that represents an extinction-level threat for organizations unprepared for an assault. Multiple generations of ransomware like the CrySIS, WannaCry, Bad Rabbit, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been out in the wild for many years and still inflict destruction. More recent versions of crypto-ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Snatch or Egregor, along with additional unnamed newcomers, not only encrypt online data but also infiltrate most accessible system protection. Information synchronized to cloud environments can also be ransomed. In a vulnerable system, this can make any recovery impossible and effectively knocks the entire system back to zero.

Retrieving programs and data following a ransomware intrusion becomes a sprint against the clock as the victim fights to stop lateral movement, cleanup the crypto-ransomware, and restore mission-critical activity. Since ransomware requires time to replicate, attacks are frequently launched during nights and weekends, when penetrations may take more time to notice. This compounds the difficulty of promptly assembling and organizing a knowledgeable response team.

Progent offers a range of solutions for protecting enterprises from ransomware events. These include team training to help identify and avoid phishing exploits, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, in addition to deployment of the latest generation security gateways with artificial intelligence technology from SentinelOne to identify and disable day-zero cyber attacks quickly. Progent also provides the services of veteran ransomware recovery engineers with the track record and commitment to re-deploy a compromised environment as urgently as possible.

Progent's Crypto-Ransomware Recovery Help
Soon after a ransomware penetration, paying the ransom in cryptocurrency does not ensure that merciless criminals will respond with the needed codes to unencrypt any of your information. Kaspersky estimated that 17% of crypto-ransomware victims never restored their information after having sent off the ransom, resulting in increased losses. The gamble is also costly. Ryuk ransoms are commonly several hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom demand can reach millions. The fallback is to piece back together the vital parts of your IT environment. Without the availability of complete information backups, this requires a broad complement of IT skills, professional team management, and the willingness to work non-stop until the recovery project is complete.

For twenty years, Progent has offered expert Information Technology services for companies across the US and has earned Microsoft's Partnership certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's group of subject matter experts includes professionals who have been awarded advanced industry certifications in foundation technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and major distributions of Linux. Progent's cybersecurity experts have garnered internationally-renowned industry certifications including CISM, CISSP, CRISC, GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (Visit Progent's certifications). Progent also has expertise with financial management and ERP applications. This breadth of expertise provides Progent the ability to rapidly understand critical systems and integrate the remaining parts of your network environment after a ransomware event and rebuild them into a functioning network.

Progent's security team of experts has powerful project management systems to orchestrate the complex restoration process. Progent knows the importance of acting quickly and in unison with a customer's management and IT resources to assign priority to tasks and to get key applications back online as fast as possible.

Client Story: A Successful Ransomware Incident Response
A small business hired Progent after their company was crashed by the Ryuk ransomware virus. Ryuk is generally considered to have been launched by North Korean state cybercriminals, possibly adopting techniques exposed from the U.S. National Security Agency. Ryuk targets specific organizations with little or no tolerance for disruption and is one of the most lucrative instances of ransomware. Well Known targets include Data Resolution, a California-based data warehousing and cloud computing business, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's customer is a small manufacturing business headquartered in Chicago with about 500 workers. The Ryuk intrusion had brought down all business operations and manufacturing processes. Most of the client's backups had been directly accessible at the time of the intrusion and were encrypted. The client was evaluating paying the ransom demand (exceeding $200,000) and hoping for good luck, but ultimately made the decision to use Progent.

Progent worked hand in hand the customer to quickly identify and prioritize the critical elements that needed to be restored to make it possible to resume company operations:

• Active Directory (AD)
• Microsoft Exchange Email
• MRP System

In less than 48 hours, Progent was able to re-build Windows Active Directory to its pre-attack state. Progent then charged ahead with reinstallations and storage recovery on mission critical systems. All Exchange Server schema and configuration information were intact, which greatly helped the restore of Exchange. Progent was able to assemble intact OST files (Outlook Off-Line Folder Files) on team desktop computers to recover mail information. A not too old off-line backup of the businesses accounting/ERP software made it possible to recover these essential services back servicing users. Although major work needed to be completed to recover completely from the Ryuk virus, core systems were restored quickly:

Throughout the following month important milestones in the restoration project were completed through close cooperation between Progent consultants and the client:

• Internal web sites were returned to operation with no loss of information.
• The MailStore Microsoft Exchange Server with over four million historical messages was restored to operations and accessible to users.
• CRM/Customer Orders/Invoices/Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivables/Inventory capabilities were completely recovered.
• A new Palo Alto 850 security appliance was brought online.
• Nearly all of the desktops and laptops were being used by staff.

Conclusion
A possible enterprise-killing disaster was evaded due to results-oriented professionals, a broad spectrum of IT skills, and close collaboration. Although in analyzing the event afterwards the ransomware virus attack detailed here should have been identified and stopped with advanced security technology solutions and security best practices, team training, and properly executed security procedures for data protection and keeping systems up to date with security patches, the fact remains that state-sponsored criminal cyber gangs from Russia, China and elsewhere are relentless and are an ongoing threat. If you do get hit by a ransomware attack, feel confident that Progent's roster of professionals has proven experience in ransomware virus blocking, remediation, and data recovery.

To review or download a PDF version of this case study, please click:
Progent's Ransomware Incident Recovery Case Study Datasheet. (PDF - 282 KB)

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent can provide companies in Valencia a variety of remote monitoring and security evaluation services designed to assist you to reduce your vulnerability to ransomware. These services include next-generation artificial intelligence technology to uncover new variants of ransomware that can get past legacy signature-based anti-virus products.

• ProSight Managed Service Packages: for Small to Mid-size Businesses
  Progent's ProSight Managed IT Service Plans make it feasible for small and mid-size companies to deploy Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) solutions to achieve leading-edge IT resilience. Progent takes care of the necessary monitoring and management for you, so your system scales easily without holding you back. For a low and predictable monthly price, Progent's experienced IT group can be your dependable technology safety net. Basic packages include remote monitoring and management (RMM), cybersecurity, automatic monthly patching, and documentation. As your needs expand, you can add low-cost subscriptions to best-in-class options like as SaaS M365/Google Workspace backup and restore, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), pen 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 incorporates state-of-the-art remote monitoring and management (RMM) techniques to help keep your network running efficiently by tracking the health of vital computers that drive your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers an issue, an alarm is transmitted immediately to your designated IT staff and your assigned Progent engineering consultant so that any looming issues can be resolved before they have a chance to impact productivity. Learn more 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-based solution for monitoring and managing your network, server, and desktop devices by offering an environment for streamlining common tedious tasks. These can include health checking, update management, automated repairs, endpoint deployment, backup and restore, A/V protection, remote access, standard and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint profile reporting, and debugging assistance. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM identifies a serious issue, it sends an alarm to your specified IT management personnel and your assigned Progent technical consultant so that emerging issues can be taken care of before they interfere with your network. Find out more details about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring consulting.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight WAN Watch is an infrastructure monitoring and management service that makes it simple and inexpensive for smaller businesses to diagram, monitor, enhance and debug their networking appliances like routers, firewalls, and access points as well as servers, printers, client computers and other devices. Using state-of-the-art RMM technology, ProSight WAN Watch ensures that network maps are kept current, captures and manages the configuration of almost all devices on your network, monitors performance, and sends notices when problems are detected. By automating tedious management and troubleshooting activities, ProSight WAN Watch can knock hours off ordinary chores like network mapping, reconfiguring your network, finding appliances that require critical software patches, or resolving performance issues. Learn more about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure monitoring and management services.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Platforms
  ProSight Reporting is a growing suite of real-time and in-depth reporting tools created to work with the leading 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 key issues such as inconsistent support follow-up or machines with missing patches. By identifying ticketing or network health concerns concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves network value, lowers management hassle, 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 software companies to produce ProSight Data Protection Services, a portfolio of management outsourcing plans that provide backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS services manage and monitor your backup processes and allow non-disruptive backup and rapid restoration of critical files, applications, images, and VMs. ProSight DPS helps you avoid data loss resulting from equipment failures, natural disasters, fire, malware such as ransomware, human error, ill-intentioned insiders, or software bugs. Managed backup services in the ProSight DPS product line include ProSight Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight ECHO Backup based on Barracuda purpose-built storage, and ProSight MSP360 Cloud and On-prem Backup. Your Progent service representative can help you to identify which of these managed backup services are most appropriate for your IT environment.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam and virus filtering and email encryption service that incorporates the technology of leading data security companies to provide centralized management and comprehensive security for all your inbound and outbound email. The powerful architecture of Email Guard managed service integrates cloud-based filtering with an on-premises security gateway device to provide complete defense against spam, viruses, Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks (DHAs), and other email-based malware. The Cloud Protection Layer acts as a preliminary barricade and blocks the vast majority of threats from reaching your network firewall. This decreases your exposure to inbound attacks and saves network bandwidth and storage. Email Guard's on-premises security gateway appliance adds a deeper level of analysis for incoming email. For outgoing email, the local gateway offers AV and anti-spam protection, policy-based Data Loss Prevention, and email encryption. The local gateway can also assist Microsoft Exchange Server to track and protect internal email that stays within your corporate firewall. For more details, visit ProSight Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight Duo Multi-Factor Authentication: Access Security, Endpoint Remediation, and Protected Single Sign-on
  Progent's Duo authentication managed services incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to defend against password theft through the use of two-factor authentication. Duo supports one-tap identity confirmation with iOS, Android, and other personal devices. Using Duo 2FA, whenever you log into a protected online account and give your password you are asked to confirm who you are via a unit that only you have and that is accessed using a separate network channel. A broad selection of devices can be utilized as this second form of ID validation such as an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You can designate multiple validation devices. To learn more about Duo two-factor identity validation services, visit Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for access security.

• Outsourced/Co-managed Help Desk: Call Center Managed Services
  Progent's Help Center services permit your IT staff to outsource Support Desk services to Progent or split activity for Help Desk services seamlessly between your internal support group and Progent's extensive pool of IT service technicians, engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Co-managed Service Desk provides a smooth extension of your core IT support group. End user interaction with the Help Desk, provision of support services, issue escalation, trouble ticket generation and updates, efficiency measurement, and maintenance of the service database are cohesive whether incidents are resolved by your corporate support organization, by Progent's team, or a mix of the two. Learn more about Progent's outsourced/shared Service Desk services.

• Active Defense Against Ransomware: Machine Learning-based Ransomware Detection and Cleanup
  Progent's Active Defense Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that utilizes cutting edge behavior machine learning technology to guard endpoints and servers and VMs against new malware attacks like ransomware and email phishing, which easily evade traditional signature-based anti-virus tools. Progent ASM services protect on-premises and cloud resources and provides a single platform to automate the complete malware attack lifecycle including protection, detection, mitigation, cleanup, and post-attack forensics. Top features include one-click rollback with Windows VSS and automatic system-wide immunization against new attacks. 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 allows you to create, update, retrieve and safeguard data related to your network infrastructure, procedures, business apps, and services. You can quickly locate passwords or serial numbers and be alerted automatically about impending expirations of SSLs or warranties. By updating and managing your IT documentation, you can save up to 50% of time spent searching for critical information about your network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a common location for storing and sharing all documents required for managing your business network such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and How-To's. ProSight IT Asset Management also supports a high level of automation for gathering and associating IT information. Whether you're making improvements, performing regular maintenance, or reacting to a crisis, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the information you require as soon as you need it. Read 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 any size a versatile and affordable alternative for evaluating, validating, scheduling, implementing, and tracking updates to your dynamic IT network. In addition to optimizing the protection and reliability of your IT network, Progent's patch management services permit your in-house IT team to concentrate on line-of-business projects and activities that deliver maximum business value from your information network. Learn more about Progent's patch management support services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted VMs at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small organization can have its critical servers and apps hosted in a protected fault tolerant data center on a fast virtual machine host configured and maintained by Progent's network support professionals. Under the ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the client owns the data, the OS platforms, and the apps. Because the environment is virtualized, it can be moved immediately to a different hosting environment without requiring a time-consuming and difficult configuration process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, you are not locked into one 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 is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that utilizes SentinelOne's next generation behavior-based analysis tools to defend physical and virtual endpoints against modern malware assaults such as ransomware and email phishing, which easily escape traditional signature-matching AV products. ProSight ASM protects on-premises and cloud-based resources and offers a unified platform to automate the entire threat lifecycle including filtering, detection, mitigation, remediation, and forensics. Top features include single-click rollback with Windows VSS and real-time system-wide immunization against new 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): Endpoint Security and Exchange Filtering
  ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) services deliver ultra-affordable multi-layer security for physical and virtual servers, workstations, mobile devices, and Exchange email. ProSight ESP utilizes contextual security and advanced heuristics for round-the-clock monitoring and reacting to cyber assaults from all attack vectors. ProSight ESP provides two-way firewall protection, intrusion alerts, endpoint control, and web filtering via leading-edge technologies packaged within a single agent accessible from a unified console. Progent's data protection and virtualization experts can assist you to design and configure a ProSight ESP deployment that addresses your organization's unique needs and that helps you prove compliance with legal and industry information protection standards. Progent will assist you define and implement security policies that ProSight ESP will manage, and Progent will monitor your network and respond to alerts that call for urgent action. Progent's consultants can also help you to set up and verify a backup and restore system like ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can recover rapidly from a potentially disastrous cyber attack such as ransomware. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified physical and virtual endpoint security and Exchange filtering.