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Ransomware : Your Crippling Information Technology Disaster
Crypto-Ransomware has become a modern cyberplague that presents an extinction-level danger for organizations vulnerable to an attack. Different versions of ransomware like the CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, Bad Rabbit, Syskey and MongoLock cryptoworms have been around for years and still cause destruction. The latest strains of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, DopplePaymer, Conti or Nephilim, plus frequent unnamed malware, not only encrypt online data files but also infiltrate all available system restores and backups. Data replicated to cloud environments can also be ransomed. In a poorly designed system, this can make automated restore operations impossible and effectively knocks the datacenter back to zero.

Getting back online programs and data after a ransomware attack becomes a race against the clock as the victim fights to stop the spread, remove the crypto-ransomware, and resume mission-critical activity. Because ransomware needs time to move laterally, assaults are frequently launched on weekends and holidays, when successful penetrations in many cases take more time to recognize. This multiplies the difficulty of quickly assembling and orchestrating a qualified mitigation team.

Progent makes available an assortment of services for securing organizations from crypto-ransomware attacks. Among these are user education to help recognize and not fall victim to phishing scams, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, plus installation of the latest generation security appliances with artificial intelligence technology from SentinelOne to identify and disable day-zero cyber threats rapidly. Progent also provides the assistance of expert crypto-ransomware recovery consultants with the track record and commitment to rebuild a breached system as soon as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Recovery Support Services
Soon after a crypto-ransomware attack, even paying the ransom demands in cryptocurrency does not guarantee that merciless criminals will return the keys to unencrypt any of your information. Kaspersky Labs ascertained that seventeen percent of ransomware victims never recovered their data even after having sent off the ransom, resulting in more losses. The gamble is also expensive. Ryuk ransoms are commonly several hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom demand can be in the millions. The fallback is to re-install the critical components of your Information Technology environment. Absent the availability of essential data backups, this requires a broad complement of IT skills, well-coordinated team management, and the willingness to work non-stop until the job is finished.

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 group of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes engineers who have attained top industry certifications in leading technologies such as Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and major distributions of Linux. Progent's cyber security specialists have garnered internationally-renowned certifications including CISA, CISSP-ISSAP, CRISC, GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (Visit Progent's certifications). Progent also has expertise in financial systems and ERP applications. This breadth of expertise provides Progent the ability to quickly understand necessary systems and integrate the remaining parts of your IT environment following a ransomware penetration and assemble them into an operational system.

Progent's ransomware group has top notch project management systems to orchestrate the sophisticated recovery process. Progent appreciates the importance of acting quickly and in concert with a client's management and IT team members to prioritize tasks and to get the most important applications back on line as fast as humanly possible.

Business Case Study: A Successful Crypto-Ransomware Virus Restoration
A business sought out Progent after their network system was crashed by Ryuk ransomware virus. Ryuk is generally considered to have been launched by North Korean state hackers, suspected of adopting approaches exposed from America's NSA organization. Ryuk seeks specific companies with little or no room for disruption and is among the most profitable incarnations of ransomware. Well Known victims include Data Resolution, a California-based info warehousing and cloud computing business, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's customer is a single-location manufacturing company based in the Chicago metro area and has around 500 employees. The Ryuk penetration had disabled all company operations and manufacturing processes. Most of the client's information backups had been directly accessible at the time of the attack and were encrypted. The client was actively seeking loans for paying the ransom (in excess of $200,000) and wishfully thinking for the best, but in the end utilized Progent.

Progent worked together with the client to quickly get our arms around and assign priority to the mission critical elements that had to be addressed in order to continue company operations:

• Microsoft Active Directory
• Microsoft Exchange
• Accounting/MRP

In less than two days, Progent was able to rebuild Active Directory services to its pre-intrusion state. Progent then performed setup and storage recovery on needed systems. All Exchange schema and attributes were intact, which greatly helped the rebuild of Exchange. Progent was also able to find local OST data files (Microsoft Outlook Off-Line Data Files) on team desktop computers and laptops to recover email messages. A recent offline backup of the businesses financials/ERP software made it possible to restore these required services back available to users. Although significant work needed to be completed to recover totally from the Ryuk attack, the most important services were restored rapidly:

Over the next few weeks important milestones in the recovery project were achieved through close cooperation between Progent engineers and the client:

• Internal web sites were returned to operation with no loss of information.
• The MailStore Microsoft Exchange Server containing more than 4 million historical messages was spun up and available for users.
• CRM/Customer Orders/Invoices/Accounts Payable (AP)/Accounts Receivables (AR)/Inventory Control functions were 100 percent restored.
• A new Palo Alto Networks 850 security appliance was deployed.
• 90% of the user desktops and notebooks were functioning as before the incident.

Conclusion
A probable business extinction catastrophe was avoided by hard-working experts, a broad spectrum of subject matter expertise, and tight teamwork. Although in post mortem the crypto-ransomware virus penetration detailed here would have been identified and prevented with up-to-date security systems and NIST Cybersecurity Framework best practices, staff training, and appropriate incident response procedures for information backup and applying software patches, the fact remains that government-sponsored hackers from Russia, North Korea and elsewhere are relentless and will continue. If you do get hit by a ransomware incident, remember that Progent's roster of experts has substantial experience in crypto-ransomware virus blocking, removal, and information systems restoration.

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

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent offers businesses in Reading a variety of online monitoring and security assessment services to help you to minimize the threat from crypto-ransomware. These services include next-generation AI capability to detect new variants of ransomware that are able to escape detection by legacy signature-based security solutions.

• ProSight Managed Service Plans: 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 create leading-edge network resilience. Progent takes care of the necessary monitoring and management for you, so your network scales readily without holding you back. For an affordable and predictable monthly subscription, Progent's experienced IT group can be your complete 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 advanced solutions like as SaaS M365/Google Workspace backup, Multi-Factor Authentication, pen testing, or WiFi management.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Monitoring
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop remote monitoring service that uses advanced remote monitoring and management technology to keep your network running at peak levels by tracking the state of critical assets that drive your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch detects a problem, an alarm is sent automatically to your designated IT personnel and your assigned Progent consultant so that all potential problems can be addressed before they can impact your network. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Unified RMM for Networks, Servers, and Desktops
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software offers a unified, cloud-based platform for managing your client-server infrastructure by providing tools for streamlining common time-consuming jobs. These include health monitoring, patch management, automated repairs, endpoint configuration, backup and recovery, A/V protection, secure remote access, built-in and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint profile reports, and debugging help. When ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM spots a serious issue, it transmits an alarm to your designated IT management staff and your Progent consultant so that emerging problems can be taken care of before they impact productivity. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring consulting.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Infrastructure Management
  Progent's ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure monitoring and management service that makes it easy and inexpensive for small and mid-sized organizations to diagram, track, reconfigure and debug their connectivity appliances like routers, firewalls, and access points plus servers, printers, client computers and other networked devices. Using state-of-the-art Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, WAN Watch makes sure that infrastructure topology diagrams are always current, captures and displays the configuration information of almost all devices connected to your network, tracks performance, and sends notices when potential issues are detected. By automating time-consuming management and troubleshooting activities, WAN Watch can cut hours off common tasks such as making network diagrams, reconfiguring your network, locating appliances that require important updates, or identifying the cause of performance bottlenecks. Learn more details about ProSight WAN Watch infrastructure management consulting.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Platforms
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding suite of real-time reporting plug-ins created to integrate with the top ticketing and network monitoring programs including ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and utilizes color coding to surface and contextualize key issues like spotty support follow-up or endpoints with missing patches. By identifying ticketing or network health problems concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves productivity, lowers management overhead, and saves money. For details, visit ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring applications.

• ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS): Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has partnered with leading backup/restore software providers to produce ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a family of offerings that provide backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS products automate and monitor your data backup operations and allow non-disruptive backup and fast recovery of vital files, applications, system images, plus Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. ProSight DPS lets you avoid data loss resulting from equipment breakdown, natural disasters, fire, cyber attacks such as ransomware, user mistakes, malicious insiders, or software glitches. Managed services in the ProSight Data Protection Services product family include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight ECHO Backup using Barracuda dedicated hardware, and ProSight MSP360 Cloud and On-prem Backup. Your Progent consultant can help you to determine which of these managed services are best suited for your IT environment.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam filtering service that incorporates the infrastructure of leading information security companies to deliver web-based management and world-class security for your inbound and outbound email. The hybrid architecture of Progent's Email Guard managed service combines a Cloud Protection Layer with an on-premises security gateway appliance to offer complete protection against spam, viruses, Denial of Service Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-borne malware. The cloud filter serves as a first line of defense and blocks most threats from reaching your security perimeter. This decreases your exposure to external threats and saves network bandwidth and storage. Email Guard's on-premises security gateway device adds a further level of inspection for incoming email. For outbound email, the on-premises security gateway provides AV and anti-spam protection, DLP, and email encryption. The on-premises security gateway can also help Exchange Server to track and safeguard internal email that stays inside your corporate firewall. For more details, 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 services incorporate Cisco's Duo technology to defend against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables single-tap identity verification on Apple iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With Duo 2FA, whenever you sign into a protected online account and give your password you are asked to verify your identity via a unit that only you possess and that is accessed using a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A wide selection of devices can be utilized as this second form of ID validation including an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You may register several verification devices. For more information about ProSight Duo identity authentication services, see Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services.

• Outsourced/Co-managed Call Desk: Help Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Help Desk managed services enable your information technology team to outsource Support Desk services to Progent or split activity for support services transparently between your internal support staff and Progent's extensive pool of certified IT support engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Co-managed Service Desk provides a smooth extension of your in-house network support staff. End user interaction with the Help Desk, provision of support, escalation, ticket creation and updates, efficiency metrics, and maintenance of the support database are cohesive regardless of whether incidents are resolved by your corporate network support organization, by Progent's team, or both. Find out more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Call Center services.

• Active Defense Against Ransomware: AI-based Ransomware Identification and Remediation
  Progent's Active Protection Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) solution that incorporates cutting edge 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 evade legacy signature-based AV products. Progent ASM services safeguard on-premises and cloud-based resources and offers a single platform to address the complete threat lifecycle including protection, detection, mitigation, remediation, and forensics. Key capabilities include single-click rollback using Windows VSS and automatic network-wide immunization against newly discovered threats. Find out more about Progent's ransomware protection and recovery 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, find and safeguard data about your IT infrastructure, processes, applications, and services. You can quickly locate passwords or IP addresses and be alerted about impending expirations of SSLs ,domains or warranties. By cleaning up and managing your IT documentation, you can eliminate up to half of time spent looking for vital information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management includes a centralized repository for storing and collaborating on all documents required for managing your business network like standard operating procedures (SOPs) and How-To's. ProSight IT Asset Management also supports a high level of automation for gathering and relating IT information. Whether you're planning improvements, doing regular maintenance, or reacting to an emergency, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the data you require when you need it. Find out more about Progent's ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Patch Management: Patch Management Services
  Progent's support services for software and firmware patch management provide businesses of all sizes a flexible and cost-effective alternative for evaluating, testing, scheduling, applying, and tracking software and firmware updates to your dynamic information network. Besides maximizing the security and reliability of your computer environment, Progent's patch management services free up time for your in-house IT team to focus on line-of-business initiatives and tasks that derive maximum business value from your information network. Learn more about Progent's patch management services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted VMs at Progent's Tier III Data Center
  With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small business can have its critical servers and apps hosted in a protected Tier III data center on a high-performance virtual host set up and maintained by Progent's IT support professionals. Under the ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the customer retains ownership of the data, the OS platforms, and the apps. Since the system is virtualized, it can be moved easily to an alternate hosting solution without a lengthy and technically risky configuration procedure. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, your business is not locked into a single hosting service. Find out more details 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-based analysis tools to guard physical and virtual endpoints against new malware assaults like ransomware and file-less exploits, which easily evade legacy signature-based anti-virus tools. ProSight ASM safeguards on-premises and cloud resources and provides a single platform to automate the entire threat progression including protection, identification, mitigation, cleanup, and post-attack forensics. Top features include one-click rollback using Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against new attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. Read more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Physical and Virtual Endpoint Protection and Exchange Email Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection services offer affordable in-depth security for physical servers and VMs, desktops, mobile devices, and Microsoft Exchange. ProSight ESP uses adaptive security and advanced heuristics for round-the-clock monitoring and reacting to security assaults from all vectors. ProSight ESP provides two-way firewall protection, penetration alerts, endpoint management, and web filtering through cutting-edge technologies packaged within a single agent managed from a unified control. Progent's security and virtualization experts can help your business to design and configure a ProSight ESP deployment that addresses your organization's specific needs and that allows you prove compliance with legal and industry information protection regulations. Progent will assist you specify and configure policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your IT environment and react to alarms that require immediate attention. Progent's consultants can also assist you to install and test a backup and restore system like ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can recover quickly from a destructive cyber attack like ransomware. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified physical and virtual endpoint protection and Microsoft Exchange filtering.