Anchorage Ransomware Protection and Recovery Solutions

Ransomware has become the weapon of choice for cybercriminals and rogue governments, representing a potentially existential risk to companies that are victimized. Modern versions of crypto-ransomware go after all vulnerable resources, including online backup, making even selective recovery a long and expensive process. Novel versions of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, DopplePaymer, Snatch and Egregor have emerged, displacing Locky, Spora, and NotPetya in notoriety, sophistication, and destructive impact.

90% of crypto-ransomware breaches are caused by innocuous-looking emails with malicious links or attachments, and many are so-called "zero-day" attacks that can escape detection by traditional signature-based antivirus tools. Although user training and up-front detection are critical to protect your network against ransomware, leading practices dictate that you take for granted some malware will eventually succeed and that you prepare a strong backup mechanism that allows you to repair the damage rapidly with little if any damage.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Vulnerability Checkup is a low-cost service built around an online interview with a Progent cybersecurity consultant experienced in ransomware defense and recovery. In the course of this interview Progent will collaborate with your Anchorage IT managers to collect critical data about your cybersecurity setup and backup environment. Progent will use this data to generate a Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment documenting how to apply leading practices for implementing and managing your cybersecurity and backup solution to prevent or recover from a crypto-ransomware assault.

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

Cybersecurity

• Correct use of administration accounts
• Correct NTFS (New Technology File System) and SMB permissions
• Optimal firewall configuration
• Safe RDP access
• Advice about AntiVirus tools selection and configuration

• Split permission architecture for backup protection
• Backing up key servers such as Active Directory
• Offsite backups including cloud backup to Microsoft Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a form of malicious software that encrypts or deletes files so they cannot be used or are publicized. Crypto-ransomware often locks the victim's computer. To avoid the damage, the target is asked to pay a specified amount of money (the ransom), typically via a crypto currency like Bitcoin, within a brief time window. There is no guarantee that paying the extortion price will recover the lost files or avoid its publication. Files can be altered or erased across a network depending on the victim's write permissions, and you cannot solve the strong encryption algorithms used on the compromised files. A common ransomware delivery package is booby-trapped email, whereby the user is lured into interacting with by a social engineering technique known as spear phishing. This causes the email message to look as though it came from a familiar sender. Another popular attack vector is an improperly protected RDP port.

The ransomware variant CryptoLocker ushered in the modern era of ransomware in 2013, and the monetary losses attributed to by different versions of ransomware is said to be billions of dollars per year, more than doubling every other year. Notorious attacks include WannaCry, and NotPetya. Current headline variants like Ryuk, DoppelPaymer and Spora are more complex and have caused more havoc than earlier strains. Even if your backup procedures permit you to recover your encrypted data, you can still be hurt by so-called exfiltration, where ransomed documents are made public. Because additional variants of ransomware crop up daily, there is no certainty that traditional signature-based anti-virus tools will block the latest malware. If threat does appear in an email, it is critical that your end users have learned to identify social engineering tricks. Your ultimate protection is a sound scheme for scheduling and keeping remote backups and the use of dependable recovery platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Ransomware Readiness Testing in Anchorage
For pricing information and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Readiness Checkup can bolster your protection against ransomware in Anchorage, call Progent at 800-462-8800 or visit Contact Progent.