24x7 Tucson Immediate Crypto-Ransomware
Computer Malware Damage Assessment and Remediation Experts

Crypto-Ransomware : Your Worst Information Technology Catastrophe
Crypto-Ransomware has become an escalating cyberplague that poses an enterprise-level danger for businesses of all sizes unprepared for an attack. Different iterations of crypto-ransomware such as CrySIS, WannaCry, Bad Rabbit, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been replicating for years and continue to inflict damage. Newer variants of ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Snatch or Egregor, plus daily as yet unnamed malware, not only encrypt on-line files but also infect all available system restores and backups. Data replicated to cloud environments can also be corrupted. In a poorly architected environment, this can render any restoration hopeless and effectively knocks the entire system back to zero.

Retrieving applications and information after a ransomware attack becomes a race against the clock as the targeted organization struggles to contain the damage, cleanup the ransomware, and restore enterprise-critical operations. Because ransomware requires time to replicate, penetrations are frequently sprung at night, when attacks may take longer to recognize. This multiplies the difficulty of rapidly assembling and coordinating an experienced response team.

Progent provides an assortment of support services for protecting organizations from crypto-ransomware penetrations. Among these are user education to become familiar with and not fall victim to phishing scams, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, plus installation of next-generation security solutions with AI technology from SentinelOne to detect and disable new cyber threats intelligently. Progent also can provide the services of experienced crypto-ransomware recovery engineers with the skills and commitment to re-deploy a compromised network as soon as possible.

Progent's Crypto-Ransomware Recovery Services
Subsequent to a crypto-ransomware penetration, sending the ransom demands in cryptocurrency does not guarantee that cyber criminals will provide the codes to decrypt any or all of your data. Kaspersky Labs ascertained that 17% of crypto-ransomware victims never recovered their information after having paid the ransom, resulting in increased losses. The risk is also costly. Ryuk ransoms are commonly a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom demand can be in the millions of dollars. The other path is to re-install the key parts of your IT environment. Without the availability of essential system backups, this requires a broad complement of skill sets, top notch team management, and the capability to work continuously until the task is done.

For twenty years, Progent has provided expert Information Technology services for businesses throughout the United States and has achieved Microsoft's Partnership certification status in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's pool of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes engineers who have attained advanced certifications in leading technologies such as Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cybersecurity consultants have garnered internationally-recognized industry certifications including CISA, CISSP-ISSAP, CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (See Progent's certifications). Progent also has expertise in accounting and ERP software solutions. This breadth of expertise provides Progent the ability to rapidly identify important systems and integrate the surviving components of your Information Technology system after a ransomware penetration and configure them into a functioning network.

Progent's recovery group deploys powerful project management systems to coordinate the complex restoration process. Progent knows the urgency of acting swiftly and in unison with a client's management and Information Technology team members to prioritize tasks and to get key services back online as fast as possible.

Business Case Study: A Successful Ransomware Attack Response
A client hired Progent after their company was taken over by Ryuk ransomware. Ryuk is generally considered to have been developed by North Korean state cybercriminals, possibly using strategies exposed from America's NSA organization. Ryuk goes after specific organizations with little room for disruption and is one of the most lucrative instances of ransomware viruses. Headline targets include Data Resolution, a California-based info warehousing and cloud computing firm, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's client is a single-location manufacturing business based in the Chicago metro area with around 500 staff members. The Ryuk attack had frozen all business operations and manufacturing processes. The majority of the client's information backups had been on-line at the start of the attack and were destroyed. The client was taking steps for paying the ransom demand (exceeding two hundred thousand dollars) and praying for good luck, but in the end utilized Progent.

Progent worked together with the customer to quickly determine and prioritize the essential systems that had to be recovered to make it possible to restart business operations:

• Windows Active Directory
• Microsoft Exchange Server
• Financials/MRP

Within two days, Progent was able to restore Active Directory services to its pre-virus state. Progent then helped perform reinstallations and hard drive recovery on the most important systems. All Microsoft Exchange Server schema and configuration information were usable, which accelerated the rebuild of Exchange. Progent was also able to locate local OST data files (Outlook Email Offline Data Files) on staff PCs and laptops to recover email data. A not too old off-line backup of the businesses accounting/ERP systems made them able to restore these vital programs back servicing users. Although a lot of work needed to be completed to recover fully from the Ryuk virus, critical services were recovered rapidly:

Throughout the following few weeks critical milestones in the restoration project were made in tight cooperation between Progent consultants and the client:

• Internal web sites were returned to operation with no loss of data.
• The MailStore Server with over four million archived messages was brought online and accessible to users.
• CRM/Product Ordering/Invoicing/Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivables (AR)/Inventory modules were 100 percent operational.
• A new Palo Alto Networks 850 security appliance was installed.
• Nearly all of the user desktops were back into operation.

Conclusion
A potential business-ending catastrophe was avoided due to dedicated professionals, a broad spectrum of knowledge, and close collaboration. Although upon completion of forensics the ransomware virus penetration detailed here would have been identified and prevented with up-to-date cyber security technology and recognized best practices, team training, and well designed incident response procedures for information protection and keeping systems up to date with security patches, the fact remains that government-sponsored criminal cyber gangs from China, Russia, North Korea and elsewhere are relentless and are not going away. If you do get hit by a crypto-ransomware incursion, remember that Progent's roster of professionals has a proven track record in ransomware virus blocking, removal, and information systems restoration.

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

Additional Crypto-Ransomware Protection Services Available from Progent
Progent offers companies in Tucson a portfolio of remote monitoring and security assessment services to help you to minimize the threat from crypto-ransomware. These services utilize next-generation AI capability to uncover zero-day variants of crypto-ransomware that can get past traditional signature-based security solutions.

• ProSight Managed Service Packages: 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 create advanced network resilience. Progent takes care of the necessary monitoring and management for you, so your network expands readily without holding you back. For a low and predictable monthly price, Progent's full-service IT team can be your complete technology safety net. Entry-level plans include RMM, cybersecurity, monthly patching, and reporting. As your requirements grow, you can add low-cost subscriptions to advanced solutions such as SaaS M365/Google Workspace backup and restore, Multi-Factor Authentication, pen testing, or WiFi management.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Remote Monitoring
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop remote monitoring service that incorporates advanced remote monitoring and management technology to help keep your network running efficiently by checking the health of vital computers that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch detects a problem, an alarm is sent immediately to your specified IT management staff and your assigned Progent engineering consultant so all potential issues can be resolved before they can disrupt productivity. 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 delivers a unified, cloud-driven platform for managing your network, server, and desktop devices by providing tools for streamlining common time-consuming jobs. These can include health checking, update management, automated remediation, endpoint deployment, backup and recovery, A/V defense, remote access, standard and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint profile reporting, and troubleshooting support. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM spots a serious incident, it sends an alarm to your specified IT staff and your Progent technical consultant so that potential problems can be fixed before they interfere with your network. Learn more details about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop remote monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure management service that makes it easy and affordable for smaller businesses to map, monitor, reconfigure and troubleshoot their connectivity appliances like routers, firewalls, and load balancers as well as servers, printers, endpoints and other networked devices. Using state-of-the-art Remote Monitoring and Management technology, WAN Watch ensures that network diagrams are always updated, captures and manages the configuration information of virtually all devices on your network, tracks performance, and generates notices when issues are detected. By automating tedious management activities, ProSight WAN Watch can knock hours off common chores such as network mapping, expanding your network, finding devices that require important updates, or isolating performance issues. Find out more details about ProSight WAN Watch infrastructure monitoring and management services.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time and In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Platforms
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding family of real-time and in-depth reporting tools designed to work with the industry's leading ticketing and network monitoring platforms including 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 inconsistent support follow-through or endpoints with missing patches. By identifying ticketing or network health problems clearly and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves productivity, reduces management overhead, and saves money. For more information, visit ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring platforms.

• ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS): Managed Backup and Recovery Services
  Progent has worked with leading backup software companies to create ProSight Data Protection Services, a portfolio of subscription-based offerings that provide backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS products manage and monitor your backup operations and enable non-disruptive backup and rapid restoration of vital files/folders, applications, system images, plus VMs. ProSight DPS helps you recover from data loss caused by equipment breakdown, natural disasters, fire, malware such as ransomware, user mistakes, ill-intentioned employees, or application bugs. Managed services in the ProSight Data Protection Services portfolio include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight ECHO Backup using Barracuda dedicated storage, and ProSight MSP360 Hybrid Backup. Your Progent expert can assist you to identify 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 service that uses the technology of top data security vendors to provide centralized management and world-class protection for your email traffic. The hybrid structure of Progent's Email Guard combines a Cloud Protection Layer with a local gateway device to provide complete protection against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-based malware. The Cloud Protection Layer serves as a first line of defense and blocks most unwanted email from reaching your network firewall. This decreases your vulnerability to inbound threats and conserves system bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's on-premises gateway appliance adds a further level of inspection for incoming email. For outgoing email, the on-premises security gateway offers anti-virus and anti-spam protection, DLP, and email encryption. The onsite security gateway can also help Microsoft Exchange Server to track and protect internal email traffic that stays within your security perimeter. For more information, see Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight Duo Two-Factor Authentication: Identity Validation, Endpoint Policy Enforcement, and Protected 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 (2FA). Duo enables single-tap identity confirmation on iOS, Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, whenever you log into a protected online account and give your password you are requested to verify your identity on a unit that only you have and that is accessed using a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A broad range of out-of-band devices can be used as this added form of ID validation such as a smartphone or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You may register multiple validation devices. To learn more about Duo identity validation services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for access security.

• Outsourced/Co-managed Service Desk: Call Center Managed Services
  Progent's Support Desk services permit your IT team to offload Support Desk services to Progent or divide activity for Help Desk services transparently between your internal support staff and Progent's nationwide pool of IT service technicians, engineers and subject matter experts (SMEs). Progent's Co-managed Help Desk Service provides a transparent supplement to your internal support resources. User interaction with the Help Desk, provision of support, issue escalation, ticket generation and updates, efficiency measurement, and maintenance of the support database are cohesive regardless of whether incidents are taken care of by your in-house network support organization, by Progent's team, or by a combination. Read more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Call Desk services.

• Active Protection Against Ransomware: Machine Learning-based Ransomware Identification and Cleanup
  Progent's Active Defense Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection solution that incorporates cutting edge behavior-based analysis technology to defend endpoint devices and physical and virtual servers against new malware assaults such as ransomware and email phishing, which routinely get by legacy signature-based AV products. Progent ASM services safeguard local and cloud resources and offers a single platform to address the entire malware attack progression including protection, identification, mitigation, cleanup, and post-attack forensics. Top features include one-click rollback using Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service and automatic system-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Learn more about Progent's ransomware defense and recovery services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation Management
  ProSight IT Asset Management service is an IT infrastructure documentation management service that allows you to create, maintain, find and safeguard information about your network infrastructure, processes, applications, and services. You can instantly locate passwords or serial numbers and be warned about upcoming expirations of SSL certificates ,domains or warranties. By cleaning up and organizing your network documentation, you can save as much as half of time thrown away looking for critical information about your network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a centralized repository for holding and collaborating on all documents related to managing your network infrastructure like standard operating procedures and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers advanced automation for collecting and relating IT data. Whether you're making enhancements, performing maintenance, or responding to an emergency, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the information you need as soon as you need it. Learn more about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Progent's Patch Management: Software/Firmware Update Management Services
  Progent's support services for patch management offer organizations of all sizes a flexible and affordable solution for assessing, validating, scheduling, applying, and tracking software and firmware updates to your ever-evolving IT network. In addition to maximizing the security and functionality of your IT environment, Progent's patch management services allow your IT staff to focus on line-of-business initiatives and activities that deliver the highest business value from your information network. Learn more about Progent's patch management 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 apps hosted in a protected Tier III data center on a high-performance virtual machine host configured and maintained by Progent's network support professionals. With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting model, the customer owns the data, the operating system platforms, and the applications. Since the environment is virtualized, it can be ported easily to an alternate hosting solution without a lengthy and technically risky reinstallation procedure. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, your business is not locked into one hosting service. Find out more about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) is an endpoint protection solution that utilizes SentinelOne's next generation behavior analysis tools to guard physical and virtual endpoint devices against new malware attacks such as ransomware and file-less exploits, which easily escape legacy signature-based anti-virus products. ProSight Active Security Monitoring protects on-premises and cloud-based resources and offers a single platform to manage the entire malware attack lifecycle including protection, identification, containment, cleanup, and post-attack forensics. Top features include one-click rollback with Windows VSS and real-time network-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Read more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) endpoint protection and ransomware recovery.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Endpoint Security and Microsoft Exchange Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) managed services deliver ultra-affordable multi-layer security for physical servers and virtual machines, workstations, mobile devices, and Exchange email. ProSight ESP uses adaptive security and advanced heuristics for continuously monitoring and responding to cyber assaults from all attack vectors. ProSight ESP offers firewall protection, intrusion alarms, endpoint control, and web filtering via leading-edge technologies packaged within one agent managed from a single control. Progent's data protection and virtualization consultants can help your business to design and configure a ProSight ESP environment that meets your company's unique needs and that allows you achieve and demonstrate compliance with government and industry information protection regulations. Progent will help you define and implement security policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your network and respond to alarms that require urgent action. Progent's consultants can also assist your company to set up and test a backup and disaster recovery solution like ProSight Data Protection Services so you can recover rapidly from a destructive cyber attack such as ransomware. Read more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified endpoint protection and Microsoft Exchange filtering.