Anchorage Ransomware Filtering and Restoration Services

Ransomware has been widely adopted by cybercriminals and malicious governments, representing a potentially existential risk to companies that are victimized. Current variations of crypto-ransomware go after all vulnerable resources, including backup, making even selective restoration a long and expensive process. Novel variations of crypto-ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Mailto (aka Netwalker), Phobos, Conti and Nephilim have made the headlines, replacing WannaCry, Spora, and CryptoWall in notoriety, sophistication, and destructiveness.

Most crypto-ransomware infections are the result of innocuous-looking emails with malicious links or file attachments, and a high percentage are so-called "zero-day" attacks that can escape the defenses of traditional signature-based antivirus (AV) tools. While user training and frontline detection are important to protect against ransomware attacks, best practices dictate that you expect that some attacks will eventually get through and that you prepare a solid backup solution that permits you to recover quickly with little if any losses.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Checkup is a low-cost service built around an online interview with a Progent cybersecurity expert skilled in ransomware defense and repair. During this assessment Progent will collaborate with your Anchorage network management staff to collect critical data about your cybersecurity setup and backup processes. Progent will use this data to produce a Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment detailing how to follow leading practices for configuring and managing your cybersecurity and backup solution to block or recover from a crypto-ransomware attack.

Progent's Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment highlights vital issues associated with ransomware prevention and restoration recovery. The review covers:

Security

• Proper use of administration accounts
• Appropriate NTFS and SMB authorizations
• Optimal firewall settings
• Safe Remote Desktop Protocol access
• Guidance for AntiVirus (AV) filtering identification and configuration

• Split permission model for backup integrity
• Protecting required servers such as Active Directory
• Offsite backups including cloud backup to Microsoft Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a variety of malicious software that encrypts or deletes a victim's files so they cannot be used or are publicized. Ransomware sometimes locks the victim's computer. To prevent the carnage, the victim is required to pay a certain amount of money, typically in the form of a crypto currency like Bitcoin, within a short period of time. It is never certain that paying the extortion price will restore the lost files or prevent its publication. Files can be altered or erased across a network depending on the target's write permissions, and you cannot break the strong encryption technologies used on the compromised files. A typical ransomware attack vector is spoofed email, in which the target is lured into responding to by means of a social engineering technique known as spear phishing. This makes the email message to look as though it came from a trusted sender. Another common attack vector is an improperly protected RDP port.

CryptoLocker ushered in the modern era of ransomware in 2013, and the monetary losses caused by different versions of ransomware is said to be billions of dollars per year, roughly doubling every other year. Notorious examples are Locky, and NotPetya. Current high-profile threats like Ryuk, DoppelPaymer and CryptoWall are more elaborate and have caused more damage than earlier versions. Even if your backup procedures allow your business to restore your encrypted data, you can still be threatened by exfiltration, where ransomed data are made public. Because new versions of ransomware crop up every day, there is no certainty that conventional signature-matching anti-virus filters will block a new malware. If threat does appear in an email, it is important that your users have learned to be aware of social engineering techniques. Your last line of protection is a solid scheme for performing and retaining offsite backups plus the use of dependable restoration tools.

Contact Progent About the ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Vulnerability Review in Anchorage
For pricing details and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Ransomware Readiness Audit can enhance your defense against ransomware in Anchorage, call Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.