Allentown Ransomware Prevention and Restoration Expertise

Ransomware has been weaponized by cybercriminals and rogue states, posing a potentially lethal threat to companies that are successfully attacked. Current versions of crypto-ransomware target all vulnerable resources, including backup, making even selective restoration a long and costly exercise. New versions of crypto-ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Phobos, Conti and Egregor have made the headlines, replacing WannaCry, Cerber, and NotPetya in notoriety, sophistication, and destructiveness.

Most crypto-ransomware infections are caused by innocuous-seeming emails with dangerous links or file attachments, and a high percentage are so-called "zero-day" attacks that can escape the defenses of traditional signature-matching antivirus (AV) filters. Although user training and frontline identification are important to defend against ransomware, leading practices dictate that you assume some malware will eventually get through and that you prepare a strong backup solution that permits you to repair the damage quickly with minimal damage.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Checkup is an ultra-affordable service centered around a remote discussion with a Progent security consultant experienced in ransomware protection and recovery. In the course of this interview Progent will work directly with your Allentown network managers to collect pertinent information concerning your cybersecurity posture and backup processes. Progent will utilize this data to create a Basic Security and Best Practices Report detailing how to apply best practices for implementing and administering your cybersecurity and backup systems to prevent or recover from a ransomware assault.

Progent's Basic Security and Best Practices Report focuses on key areas associated with ransomware prevention and restoration recovery. The review addresses:

Security

• Correct allocation and use of admin accounts
• Assigning NTFS (New Technology File System) and SMB (Server Message Block) permissions
• Optimal firewall setup
• Safe RDP configuration
• Recommend AntiVirus filtering selection and deployment

• Split permission model for backup integrity
• Backing up required servers such as AD
• Geographically dispersed backups including cloud backup to Microsoft Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts or steals files so they are unusable or are made publicly available. Ransomware sometimes locks the target's computer. To prevent the carnage, the victim is asked to send a specified ransom, usually in the form of a crypto currency like Bitcoin, within a short period of time. It is not guaranteed that paying the ransom will restore the damaged data or avoid its exposure to the public. Files can be altered or erased across a network depending on the target's write permissions, and you cannot reverse engineer the strong encryption technologies used on the hostage files. A typical ransomware delivery package is booby-trapped email, in which the victim is lured into interacting with by a social engineering exploit called spear phishing. This makes the email message to look as though it came from a trusted source. Another common attack vector is a poorly protected Remote Desktop Protocol port.

The ransomware variant CryptoLocker opened the new age of ransomware in 2013, and the damage caused by different strains of ransomware is said to be billions of dollars per year, roughly doubling every two years. Notorious examples are Locky, and NotPetya. Current headline threats like Ryuk, Maze and Spora are more elaborate and have wreaked more havoc than earlier versions. Even if your backup/recovery processes enable you to recover your encrypted files, you can still be threatened by so-called exfiltration, where stolen data are made public (known as "doxxing"). Because new versions of ransomware are launched every day, there is no guarantee that conventional signature-matching anti-virus filters will block the latest malware. If threat does appear in an email, it is critical that your end users have learned to be aware of social engineering techniques. Your last line of protection is a solid process for performing and retaining remote backups and the use of dependable recovery platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Ransomware Vulnerability Assessment in Allentown
For pricing information and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Preparedness Testing can enhance your defense against crypto-ransomware in Allentown, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.