Baltimore Ransomware Filtering and Recovery Expertise

Ransomware has become the weapon of choice for cybercriminals and malicious states, representing a potentially existential risk to companies that fall victim. Modern versions of crypto-ransomware target all vulnerable resources, including backup, making even partial restoration a long and costly exercise. Novel variations of crypto-ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, DopplePaymer, Snatch and Egregor have emerged, displacing Locky, Spora, and Petya in notoriety, elaborateness, and destructive impact.

90% of ransomware penetrations are caused by innocuous-seeming emails that include dangerous hyperlinks or attachments, and a high percentage are "zero-day" variants that can escape the defenses of legacy signature-based antivirus tools. While user training and up-front detection are important to defend against ransomware, leading practices dictate that you expect that some attacks will inevitably get through and that you deploy a solid backup solution that permits you to recover rapidly with minimal losses.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Assessment is an ultra-affordable service built around an online interview with a Progent cybersecurity expert experienced in ransomware protection and repair. During this assessment Progent will work directly with your Baltimore IT managers to gather critical data concerning your security posture and backup environment. Progent will use this information to generate a Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment detailing how to adhere to leading practices for configuring and managing your security and backup solution to prevent or recover from a crypto-ransomware assault.

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

Cybersecurity

• Correct allocation and use of admin accounts
• Assigning NTFS (New Technology File System) and SMB (Server Message Block) permissions
• Proper firewall configuration
• Safe Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections
• Guidance for AntiVirus tools selection and deployment

• Split permission architecture for backup protection
• Backing up required servers including AD
• Geographically dispersed backups including cloud backup to Microsoft Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a form of malicious software that encrypts or steals a victim's files so they are unusable or are publicized. Crypto-ransomware sometimes locks the victim's computer. To prevent the damage, the target is required to send a specified 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 ransom will restore the damaged data or prevent its exposure to the public. Files can be altered or deleted throughout a network based on the target's write permissions, and you cannot break the strong encryption algorithms used on the compromised files. A common ransomware attack vector is spoofed email, whereby the user is tricked 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 familiar source. Another common attack vector is a poorly secured Remote Desktop Protocol port.

The ransomware variant CryptoLocker ushered in the modern era of ransomware in 2013, and the monetary losses attributed to by the many strains of ransomware is estimated at billions of dollars annually, roughly doubling every other year. Famous examples are Locky, and NotPetya. Recent high-profile threats like Ryuk, DoppelPaymer and Spora are more sophisticated and have wreaked more damage than older versions. Even if your backup/recovery processes permit you to restore your ransomed data, you can still be threatened by so-called exfiltration, where ransomed documents are exposed to the public (known as "doxxing"). Because new versions of ransomware are launched every day, there is no certainty that conventional signature-matching anti-virus tools will block a new attack. If threat does appear in an email, it is important that your users have learned to be aware of phishing tricks. Your ultimate protection is a sound process for performing and retaining offsite backups and the deployment of reliable restoration platforms.

Contact Progent About the ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Audit in Baltimore
For pricing details and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Ransomware Readiness Assessment can enhance your defense against crypto-ransomware in Baltimore, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.