Allentown Ransomware Prevention and Remediation Solutions

Ransomware has been weaponized by cybercriminals and rogue governments, representing a potentially lethal threat to businesses that are breached. Modern versions of ransomware target all vulnerable resources, including backup, making even partial recovery a long and expensive process. Novel versions of crypto-ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Mailto (aka Netwalker), Phobos, LockBit and Nephilim have made the headlines, displacing Locky, Spora, and Petya in prominence, sophistication, and destructive impact.

Most ransomware penetrations are caused by innocuous-looking emails that have dangerous hyperlinks or file attachments, and many are "zero-day" variants that can escape the defenses of legacy signature-based antivirus (AV) filters. While user education and up-front identification are critical to defend your network against ransomware attacks, best practices dictate that you expect that some malware will eventually succeed and that you deploy a solid backup mechanism that allows you to repair the damage quickly with minimal damage.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Report is a low-cost service centered around an online discussion with a Progent cybersecurity consultant skilled in ransomware defense and recovery. In the course of this assessment Progent will collaborate directly with your Allentown network managers to collect critical information concerning your security profile and backup processes. Progent will utilize this information to generate a Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment detailing how to apply best practices for implementing and managing your security and backup solution to block or recover from a crypto-ransomware attack.

Progent's Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment highlights vital issues related to crypto-ransomware defense and restoration recovery. The report covers:

Cybersecurity

• Correct allocation and use of admin accounts
• Correct NTFS (New Technology File System) and SMB (Server Message Block) authorizations
• Proper firewall configuration
• Safe Remote Desktop Protocol access
• Advice about AntiVirus (AV) filtering identification and configuration

• Split permission architecture for backup integrity
• Protecting key servers such as AD
• Geographically dispersed backups with cloud backup to Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a variety of malware that encrypts or steals a victim's files so they are unusable or are made publicly available. Crypto-ransomware often locks the victim's computer. To avoid the carnage, the target is required to pay a certain amount of money, typically via a crypto currency such as Bitcoin, within a brief period of time. It is not guaranteed that paying the extortion price will recover the damaged files or prevent its exposure to the public. Files can be altered or deleted across a network depending on the victim's write permissions, and you cannot break the strong encryption algorithms used on the hostage files. A typical ransomware delivery package is booby-trapped email, whereby the victim is lured into interacting with by means of a social engineering exploit called spear phishing. This makes the email to look as though it came from a trusted source. Another popular attack vector is a poorly protected RDP port.

The ransomware variant CryptoLocker ushered in 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, roughly doubling every two years. Famous attacks are WannaCry, and NotPetya. Recent headline variants like Ryuk, DoppelPaymer and CryptoWall are more sophisticated and have wreaked more havoc than older strains. Even if your backup procedures permit you to recover your encrypted files, you can still be hurt by so-called exfiltration, where stolen data are made public. Because additional versions of ransomware are launched every day, there is no guarantee that traditional signature-matching anti-virus filters will detect a new attack. If threat does appear in an email, it is important that your end users have learned to identify phishing tricks. Your last line of protection is a solid process for scheduling and keeping offsite backups plus the use of reliable restoration platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Readiness Report in Allentown
For pricing information and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Ransomware Susceptibility Report can enhance your protection against crypto-ransomware in Allentown, call Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.