Ransomware Hot Line: 800-462-8800
24x7 Remote Help from a Senior Ransomware Engineer
Ransomware requires time to work its way across a network. For this reason, ransomware assaults are typically launched on weekends and late at night, when support staff may take longer to recognize a break-in and are less able to mount a quick and forceful response. The more lateral progress ransomware can make inside a target's network, the more time it will require to restore basic IT services and damaged files and the more data can be exfiltrated to the dark web.
Progent's Ransomware Hot Line is designed to assist you to carry out the time-critical first phase in responding to a ransomware attack by putting out the fire. Progent's online ransomware experts can help businesses in the Austin area to locate and isolate infected servers and endpoints and guard undamaged assets from being penetrated.
If your system has been penetrated by any strain of ransomware, don't panic. Get immediate help by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800.
Progent's Ransomware Recovery Expertise Offered in Austin
Current strains of crypto-ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, DopplePaymer, and Egregor encrypt online data and attack any available system restores. Data synched to the cloud can also be impacted. For a poorly defended network, this can make system restoration almost impossible and effectively sets the IT system back to the beginning. Threat Actors (TAs), the hackers responsible for ransomware assault, insist on a settlement fee for the decryptors required to unlock scrambled files. Ransomware attacks also attempt to steal (or "exfiltrate") information and TAs require an extra payment in exchange for not posting this data or selling it. Even if you can restore your system to an acceptable date in time, exfiltration can be a major problem depending on the sensitivity of the stolen data.
The recovery work subsequent to ransomware breach has several distinct phases, the majority of which can proceed in parallel if the recovery team has enough people with the required experience.
- Quarantine: This time-critical initial step requires arresting the lateral spread of ransomware across your IT system. The longer a ransomware assault is allowed to run unrestricted, the longer and more costly the recovery process. Because of this, Progent maintains a round-the-clock Ransomware Hotline monitored by seasoned ransomware response experts. Containment activities include cutting off infected endpoints from the rest of network to block the spread, documenting the IT system, and securing entry points.
- System continuity: This involves bringing back the IT system to a basic useful level of capability with the least downtime. This process is usually at the highest level of urgency for the victims of the ransomware attack, who often see it as a life-or-death issue for their business. This activity also demands the broadest range of IT abilities that span domain controllers, DHCP servers, physical and virtual machines, desktops, notebooks and smart phones, databases, office and line-of-business applications, network topology, and secure endpoint access management. Progent's ransomware recovery team uses state-of-the-art collaboration tools to coordinate the multi-faceted restoration process. Progent understands the importance of working rapidly, tirelessly, and in unison with a client's management and network support group to prioritize activity and to get vital services back online as quickly as possible.
- Data recovery: The effort required to restore files impacted by a ransomware attack varies according to the condition of the systems, the number of files that are encrypted, and which restore methods are required. Ransomware attacks can take down critical databases which, if not carefully closed, might need to be rebuilt from scratch. This can apply to DNS and Active Directory databases. Exchange and SQL Server depend on Active Directory, and many ERP and other business-critical applications are powered by Microsoft SQL Server. Often some detective work could be needed to locate undamaged data. For example, non-encrypted OST files (Outlook Email Offline Folder Files) may exist on staff PCs and laptops that were not connected at the time of the ransomware assault. Progent's ProSight Data Protection Services offer Altaro VM Backup technology to defend against ransomware attacks by leveraging Immutable Cloud Storage. This produces tamper-proof data that cannot be erased or modified by any user including root users.
- Setting up modern antivirus/ransomware protection: ProSight ASM incorporates SentinelOne's machine learning technology to give small and medium-sized companies the advantages of the identical anti-virus tools used by many of the world's biggest enterprises including Netflix, Citi, and Salesforce. By delivering in-line malware blocking, identification, containment, recovery and forensics in one integrated platform, Progent's ASM reduces total cost of ownership, simplifies management, and promotes rapid operational continuity. SentinelOne's next-generation endpoint protection engine built into in Progent's Active Security Monitoring was ranked by Gartner Group as the "most visionary Endpoint Protection Platform." Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. Find out about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) endpoint protection and ransomware defense with SentinelOne technology.
- Negotiating a settlement with the threat actor (TA): Progent is experienced in negotiating settlements with threat actors. This calls for working closely with the ransomware victim and the insurance provider, if any. Activities consist of determining the type of ransomware used in the assault; identifying and making contact with the hacker; testing decryption tool; deciding on a settlement with the ransomware victim and the cyber insurance carrier; establishing a settlement and schedule with the TA; checking adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) sanctions; carrying out the crypto-currency payment to the hacker; acquiring, reviewing, and using the decryptor utility; debugging failed files; creating a pristine environment; remapping and connecting datastores to reflect precisely their pre-attack condition; and restoring machines and software services.
- Forensics: This activity involves learning the ransomware assault's storyline throughout the network from start to finish. This audit trail of the way a ransomware assault travelled within the network helps your IT staff to assess the impact and brings to light gaps in security policies or work habits that should be corrected to avoid later breaches. Forensics entails the examination of all logs, registry, GPO, Active Directory, DNS servers, routers, firewalls, schedulers, and core Windows systems to check for anomalies. Forensic analysis is commonly assigned a top priority by the cyber insurance carrier. Because forensic analysis can take time, it is essential that other important recovery processes such as business continuity are performed in parallel. Progent maintains an extensive roster of IT and data security professionals with the knowledge and experience needed to perform activities for containment, operational resumption, and data restoration without interfering with forensic analysis.
Progent's Background
Progent has delivered online and on-premises network services across the United States for more than 20 years and has earned Microsoft's Partner certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's team of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes consultants who have earned advanced certifications in foundation technology platforms such as Cisco infrastructure, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cybersecurity experts have earned internationally recognized certifications such as CISM, CISSP-ISSAP, CRISC, and CMMC 2.0. (See Progent's certifications). Progent also has guidance in financial management and Enterprise Resource Planning application software. This scope of skills gives Progent the ability to salvage and integrate the undamaged parts of your network after a ransomware attack and reconstruct them quickly into a functioning system. Progent has collaborated with top cyber insurance carriers including Chubb to assist organizations clean up after ransomware assaults.
Contact Progent for Ransomware System Recovery Services in Austin
For ransomware recovery consulting services in the Austin area, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or visit Contact Progent.