Albany Ransomware Filtering and Remediation Expertise

Ransomware has become the weapon of choice for the major cyber-crime organizations and malicious governments, representing a possibly existential threat to companies that fall victim. Current variations of crypto-ransomware target all vulnerable resources, including backup, making even selective recovery a long and costly exercise. New versions of crypto-ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Mailto (aka Netwalker), DopplePaymer, Snatch and Nephilim have made the headlines, displacing WannaCry, TeslaCrypt, and Petya in prominence, elaborateness, and destructive impact.

90% of ransomware infections are caused by innocuous-looking emails that include dangerous links or attachments, and a high percentage are so-called "zero-day" strains that can escape the defenses of traditional signature-based antivirus (AV) filters. Although user training and up-front identification are critical to defend against ransomware attacks, leading practices dictate that you expect that some attacks will inevitably succeed and that you deploy a solid backup solution that allows you to recover quickly with minimal damage.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Vulnerability Assessment is a low-cost service built around an online discussion with a Progent cybersecurity expert experienced in ransomware protection and repair. During this interview Progent will collaborate with your Albany network managers to collect pertinent information about your cybersecurity configuration and backup processes. Progent will use this data to produce a Basic Security and Best Practices Report detailing how to adhere to best practices for implementing and managing your security and backup solution to prevent or clean up after a crypto-ransomware assault.

Progent's Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment highlights key issues associated with crypto-ransomware defense and restoration recovery. The review addresses:

Cybersecurity

• Effective allocation and use of admin accounts
• Correct NTFS and SMB (Server Message Block) authorizations
• Proper firewall settings
• Secure RDP connections
• Recommend AntiVirus filtering identification and deployment

• Split permission model for backup protection
• Protecting key servers including AD
• Geographically dispersed backups with cloud backup to Microsoft Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts or steals files so they are unusable or are publicized. Crypto-ransomware often locks the victim's computer. To avoid the carnage, the victim is required to pay a specified ransom, typically in the form of a crypto currency like Bitcoin, within a brief period of time. It is never certain that delivering the extortion price will recover the lost data or avoid its publication. Files can be encrypted or deleted across a network based on the victim's write permissions, and you cannot solve the military-grade encryption algorithms used on the hostage files. A typical ransomware attack vector is booby-trapped email, whereby the target is tricked into interacting with by means of a social engineering exploit called spear phishing. This causes the email message to appear to come from a trusted sender. Another popular vulnerability is an improperly protected Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port.

CryptoLocker opened the modern era of crypto-ransomware in 2013, and the monetary losses caused by different versions of ransomware is estimated at billions of dollars annually, more than doubling every other year. Notorious examples include WannaCry, and Petya. Current headline threats like Ryuk, Maze and CryptoWall are more complex and have wreaked more havoc than older versions. Even if your backup/recovery processes allow you to restore your ransomed files, you can still be threatened by so-called exfiltration, where stolen data are made public (known as "doxxing"). Because new variants of ransomware crop up daily, there is no certainty that traditional signature-based anti-virus tools will detect a new attack. If an attack does show up in an email, it is important that your users have been taught to be aware of social engineering tricks. Your last line of protection is a sound process for scheduling and keeping offsite backups and the deployment of dependable recovery platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Susceptibility Evaluation in Albany
For pricing details and to find out more about how Progent's ProSight Ransomware Vulnerability Checkup can enhance your protection against crypto-ransomware in Albany, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or visit Contact Progent.