24/7/365 Akron Immediate Crypto
Virus Identification and Restoration Services

Crypto-Ransomware : Your Crippling IT Nightmare
Ransomware has become an escalating cyber pandemic that represents an enterprise-level threat for businesses of all sizes poorly prepared for an assault. Different versions of crypto-ransomware such as CrySIS, WannaCry, Bad Rabbit, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been circulating for many years and still cause destruction. The latest versions of ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, DopplePaymer, Conti or Nephilim, as well as more unnamed newcomers, not only encrypt on-line files but also infiltrate most available system backups. Data replicated to cloud environments can also be held hostage. In a poorly architected data protection solution, it can render automated restore operations impossible and basically knocks the datacenter back to square one.

Retrieving applications and data following a crypto-ransomware event becomes a race against time as the victim struggles to contain, cleanup the ransomware, and restore business-critical activity. Due to the fact that ransomware takes time to spread, attacks are usually sprung during nights and weekends, when attacks in many cases take more time to detect. This multiplies the difficulty of promptly mobilizing and organizing a qualified mitigation team.

Progent has a range of services for securing organizations from ransomware penetrations. These include team member education to help identify and not fall victim to phishing exploits, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, plus setup and configuration of modern security solutions with artificial intelligence technology from SentinelOne to identify and suppress zero-day cyber threats quickly. Progent also can provide the assistance of expert ransomware recovery professionals with the track record and commitment to restore a compromised network as rapidly as possible.

Progent's Crypto-Ransomware Recovery Support Services
After a ransomware invasion, sending the ransom demands in cryptocurrency does not guarantee that distant criminals will provide the keys to unencrypt any or all of your data. Kaspersky estimated that 17% of ransomware victims never recovered their files even after having paid the ransom, resulting in additional losses. The gamble is also very costly. Ryuk ransoms are commonly a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom demand can be in the millions of dollars. The alternative is to setup from scratch the mission-critical elements of your Information Technology environment. Without access to full system backups, this requires a broad range of IT skills, professional team management, and the ability to work non-stop until the recovery project is complete.

For two decades, Progent has provided expert IT services for companies throughout the U.S. and has achieved Microsoft's Partnership certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's pool of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes consultants who have earned top certifications in foundation technologies like Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's security experts have earned internationally-renowned industry certifications including CISM, CISSP-ISSAP, CRISC, GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (Visit Progent's certifications). Progent also has expertise in financial systems and ERP software solutions. This breadth of experience gives Progent the skills to efficiently ascertain necessary systems and consolidate the remaining parts of your network system following a ransomware attack and rebuild them into an operational system.

Progent's recovery group deploys top notch project management tools to orchestrate the sophisticated recovery process. Progent appreciates the importance of acting quickly and together with a customer's management and IT team members to prioritize tasks and to put key systems back on-line as fast as possible.

Customer Story: A Successful Ransomware Virus Response
A client sought out Progent after their network was taken over by the Ryuk ransomware virus. Ryuk is thought to have been created by Northern Korean state hackers, possibly using technology leaked from the United States National Security Agency. Ryuk goes after specific companies with limited tolerance for operational disruption and is one of the most profitable versions of crypto-ransomware. Headline targets include Data Resolution, a California-based information warehousing and cloud computing business, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's client is a single-location manufacturer located in the Chicago metro area with around 500 employees. The Ryuk event had paralyzed all essential operations and manufacturing processes. The majority of the client's information backups had been on-line at the time of the attack and were encrypted. The client was actively seeking loans for paying the ransom (more than $200,000) and hoping for the best, but in the end brought in Progent.

Progent worked hand in hand the customer to rapidly determine and prioritize the most important elements that needed to be restored in order to restart departmental functions:

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

In less than 2 days, Progent was able to restore Active Directory to its pre-intrusion state. Progent then performed reinstallations and storage recovery on essential systems. All Exchange ties and attributes were intact, which greatly helped the restore of Exchange. Progent was able to locate intact OST data files (Outlook Email Off-Line Data Files) on various desktop computers and laptops in order to recover email messages. A recent off-line backup of the customer's accounting/ERP systems made it possible to return these vital applications back on-line. Although major work needed to be completed to recover totally from the Ryuk virus, the most important systems were recovered quickly:

Over the following couple of weeks key milestones in the restoration project were accomplished through tight cooperation between Progent engineers and the client:

• Self-hosted web applications were returned to operation with no loss of information.
• The MailStore Server exceeding 4 million historical messages was spun up and available for users.
• CRM/Orders/Invoices/Accounts Payable (AP)/AR/Inventory functions were completely recovered.
• A new Palo Alto 850 security appliance was installed and configured.
• 90% of the user workstations were fully operational.

Conclusion
A possible business extinction disaster was evaded due to top-tier experts, a broad spectrum of subject matter expertise, and close teamwork. Although upon completion of forensics the ransomware incident detailed here would have been disabled with up-to-date cyber security technology solutions and recognized best practices, user education, and properly executed incident response procedures for data protection and proper patching controls, the reality remains that state-sponsored cyber criminals from Russia, China and elsewhere are tireless and will continue. If you do fall victim to a ransomware virus, feel confident that Progent's team of professionals has proven experience in crypto-ransomware virus blocking, remediation, and data restoration.

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

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent offers businesses in Akron a variety of online monitoring and security assessment services designed to help you to reduce your vulnerability to ransomware. These services utilize next-generation AI technology to uncover zero-day variants of ransomware that are able to get past legacy signature-based security products.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop monitoring managed service that incorporates advanced remote monitoring and management (RMM) technology to help keep your IT system operating at peak levels by checking the health of critical computers that drive your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch detects a problem, an alert is sent automatically to your designated IT personnel and your assigned Progent consultant so that any potential problems can be resolved before they can impact productivity. Find out more details about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Centralized 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 client-server infrastructure by offering an environment for streamlining common time-consuming tasks. These can include health checking, update management, automated remediation, endpoint setup, backup and restore, A/V protection, secure remote access, built-in and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint profile reporting, and troubleshooting assistance. When ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM spots a serious issue, it sends an alert to your specified IT staff and your Progent consultant so emerging issues can be taken care of before they impact productivity. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Infrastructure Management
  Progent's ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure monitoring and management service that makes it simple and affordable for smaller businesses to diagram, monitor, reconfigure and debug their networking appliances such as routers, firewalls, and load balancers as well as servers, printers, endpoints and other networked devices. Using state-of-the-art Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, ProSight WAN Watch makes sure that infrastructure topology maps are always current, captures and displays the configuration of almost all devices connected to your network, monitors performance, and generates notices when problems are discovered. By automating time-consuming management and troubleshooting activities, WAN Watch can knock hours off common chores such as network mapping, expanding your network, locating devices that need critical updates, or resolving performance issues. Learn more details about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure monitoring and management consulting.

• ProSight Reporting: In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Applications
  ProSight Reporting is a growing line of real-time and in-depth reporting plug-ins created to work with the top ticketing and remote network monitoring platforms such as 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 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 hassle, and saves money. For details, visit ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring applications.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has partnered with advanced backup/restore technology companies to create ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a selection of subscription-based management offerings that deliver backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS services manage and monitor your backup operations and enable non-disruptive backup and fast recovery of important files/folders, applications, system images, plus Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. ProSight DPS helps your business protect against data loss resulting from hardware breakdown, natural disasters, fire, malware like ransomware, human mistakes, malicious employees, or software bugs. Managed backup services available in the ProSight Data Protection Services portfolio include ProSight Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight ECHO Backup using Barracuda purpose-built storage, and ProSight MSP360 Hybrid Backup. Your Progent expert can assist you to determine which of these 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 and email encryption service that uses the infrastructure of leading data security vendors to deliver web-based control and comprehensive protection for all your inbound and outbound email. The powerful structure of Email Guard managed service combines a Cloud Protection Layer with a local gateway device to provide complete protection against spam, viruses, Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks (DHAs), and other email-based malware. The Cloud Protection Layer serves as a first line of defense and blocks the vast majority of threats from reaching your security perimeter. This decreases your exposure to inbound attacks and conserves network bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's onsite security gateway device provides a deeper level of inspection for incoming email. For outbound email, the on-premises security gateway provides AV and anti-spam filtering, policy-based Data Loss Prevention, and email encryption. The on-premises security gateway can also assist Microsoft Exchange Server to track and protect internal email traffic that originates and ends inside your corporate firewall. For more information, see ProSight Email Guard spam filtering and data leakage protection.

• ProSight Duo Two-Factor Authentication: Identity Validation, Endpoint Policy Enforcement, and Secure Single Sign-on (SSO)
  Progent's Duo MFA services utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo supports single-tap identity confirmation on iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With Duo 2FA, whenever you sign into a secured online account and enter your password you are requested to confirm your identity via a unit that only you have and that uses a separate network channel. A broad range of out-of-band devices can be utilized for this added means of ID validation including a smartphone or watch, a hardware/software token, a landline telephone, etc. You can register several verification devices. For more information about ProSight Duo identity validation services, see Duo MFA two-factor authentication services for access security.

• Progent's Outsourced/Shared Help Center: Help Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Call Desk services permit your information technology staff to offload Support Desk services to Progent or split activity for Service Desk support transparently between your in-house network support team and Progent's extensive roster of certified IT support engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Co-managed Service Desk provides a smooth supplement to your core IT support group. Client access to the Help Desk, delivery of support, escalation, ticket generation and tracking, performance metrics, and maintenance of the support database are consistent whether incidents are resolved by your core support organization, by Progent's team, or a mix of the two. Find out more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Call Center services.

• Progent Active Protection Against Ransomware: Machine Learning-based Ransomware Identification and Remediation
  Progent's Active Protection Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that utilizes next generation behavior analysis tools to defend endpoint devices and servers and VMs against new malware attacks like ransomware and email phishing, which routinely evade traditional signature-based AV tools. Progent Active Security Monitoring services protect local and cloud resources and offers a single platform to automate the entire malware attack lifecycle including protection, infiltration detection, containment, cleanup, and forensics. Top features include single-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and automatic system-wide immunization against newly discovered threats. Read more about Progent's ransomware defense 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 makes it easy to capture, maintain, find and safeguard information about your network infrastructure, processes, business apps, and services. You can quickly find passwords or serial numbers and be warned about impending expirations of SSLs or domains. By cleaning up and managing your IT infrastructure documentation, you can eliminate up to 50% of time wasted trying to find vital information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management includes a centralized repository for holding and sharing all documents required for managing your business network like standard operating procedures (SOPs) and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers a high level of automation for collecting and associating IT information. Whether you're making improvements, performing maintenance, or responding to a crisis, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the data you need the instant you need it. Read more about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Progent's Patch Management: Patch Management Services
  Progent's managed services for patch management offer organizations of all sizes a flexible and cost-effective solution for assessing, testing, scheduling, implementing, and documenting software and firmware updates to your ever-evolving information network. Besides optimizing the protection and functionality of your computer network, Progent's patch management services allow your IT team to focus on line-of-business initiatives and activities that derive the highest business value from your information network. Read more about Progent's patch management support services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted VMs at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small or mid-size business can have its key servers and apps hosted in a secure Tier III data center on a fast virtual host set up and maintained by Progent's network support experts. Under Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting model, the customer owns the data, the operating system platforms, and the apps. Since the environment is virtualized, it can be ported easily to a different hardware environment without requiring a lengthy and technically risky reinstallation process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, your business is not locked into one hosting provider. Learn more about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) is an endpoint protection service that utilizes SentinelOne's next generation behavior analysis tools to defend physical and virtual endpoints against new malware attacks like ransomware and file-less exploits, which routinely evade legacy signature-matching AV tools. ProSight Active Security Monitoring protects on-premises and cloud resources and provides a unified platform to automate the complete threat lifecycle including protection, identification, containment, cleanup, and forensics. Key features include one-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service and real-time network-wide immunization against newly discovered threats. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring endpoint protection and ransomware recovery.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Endpoint Security and Microsoft Exchange Email Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) managed services deliver ultra-affordable multi-layer protection for physical servers and VMs, desktops, smartphones, and Exchange Server. ProSight ESP utilizes adaptive security and advanced heuristics for continuously monitoring and responding to security assaults from all attack vectors. ProSight ESP offers two-way firewall protection, intrusion alarms, device management, and web filtering via cutting-edge tools packaged within a single agent accessible from a unified console. Progent's security and virtualization consultants can help your business to plan and implement a ProSight ESP environment that addresses your organization's unique needs and that helps you demonstrate compliance with government and industry data security regulations. Progent will assist you specify and configure security policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your IT environment and respond to alarms that call for immediate attention. Progent can also assist your company to set up and verify a backup and restore system such as ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can recover quickly from a potentially disastrous security attack like ransomware. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified endpoint security and Exchange filtering.