Bakersfield Ransomware Filtering and Removal Expertise

Ransomware has been widely adopted by the major cyber-crime organizations and rogue states, posing a potentially lethal threat to businesses that are successfully attacked. Current strains of crypto-ransomware target all vulnerable resources, including online backup, making even selective restoration a long and expensive process. New versions of crypto-ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Mailto (aka Netwalker), Phobos, Conti and Egregor have made the headlines, replacing Locky, TeslaCrypt, and NotPetya in notoriety, elaborateness, and destructive impact.

Most crypto-ransomware infections are the result of innocuous-looking emails that include malicious hyperlinks or file attachments, and a high percentage are so-called "zero-day" strains that elude the defenses of traditional signature-based antivirus (AV) tools. Although user education and frontline detection are critical to protect against ransomware attacks, best practices dictate that you assume some malware will eventually succeed and that you implement a strong backup mechanism that enables you to restore files and services quickly with little if any damage.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Vulnerability Checkup is an ultra-affordable service built around an online discussion with a Progent security expert skilled in ransomware defense and recovery. In the course of this assessment Progent will work directly with your Bakersfield network managers to gather critical information concerning your security setup and backup environment. Progent will utilize this data to produce a Basic Security and Best Practices Report detailing how to follow best practices for implementing and administering your cybersecurity and backup systems to block or recover from a crypto-ransomware attack.

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

Security

• Correct use of administration accounts
• Appropriate NTFS and SMB permissions
• Optimal firewall configuration
• Safe Remote Desktop Protocol configuration
• Guidance for AntiVirus tools identification and deployment

• Split permission model for backup protection
• Protecting required servers such as AD
• Geographically dispersed backups including cloud backup to Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a variety of malware that encrypts or steals files so they are unusable or are made publicly available. Crypto-ransomware sometimes locks the target's computer. To prevent the damage, the target is asked to send a specified amount of money, typically via a crypto currency such as Bitcoin, within a brief time window. It is never certain that paying the ransom will restore the lost files or avoid its publication. Files can be altered or erased throughout a network depending on the target's write permissions, and you cannot break the strong encryption algorithms used on the hostage files. A common ransomware delivery package is booby-trapped email, in which the target is tricked into responding to by means of a social engineering technique known as spear phishing. This causes the email message to appear to come from a familiar source. Another popular attack vector is a poorly secured Remote Desktop Protocol port.

CryptoLocker ushered in the modern era of ransomware in 2013, and the monetary losses attributed to by the many versions of ransomware is said to be billions of dollars annually, more than doubling every other year. Famous examples are WannaCry, and Petya. Current headline threats like Ryuk, Maze and Cerber are more elaborate and have wreaked more damage than older versions. Even if your backup processes permit you to recover your encrypted data, you can still be threatened by so-called exfiltration, where ransomed data are made public. Because additional versions of ransomware crop up every day, there is no certainty that conventional signature-based anti-virus tools will detect a new attack. If an attack does show up in an email, it is important that your end users have been taught to be aware of social engineering tricks. Your ultimate protection is a sound process for scheduling and retaining remote backups plus the deployment of dependable restoration platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Preparedness Consultation in Bakersfield
For pricing information and to find out more about how Progent's ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Vulnerability Testing can bolster your protection against crypto-ransomware in Bakersfield, call Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.