Boston Ransomware Protection and Restoration Solutions

Ransomware has been weaponized by cyber extortionists and bad-actor states, posing a possibly lethal risk to businesses that are breached. Modern variations of crypto-ransomware target all vulnerable resources, including online backup, making even partial restoration a complex and costly process. New versions of ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Phobos, Conti and Egregor have emerged, displacing WannaCry, Spora, and NotPetya in notoriety, sophistication, and destructive impact.

90% of crypto-ransomware breaches are caused by innocuous-seeming emails that include malicious hyperlinks or attachments, and a high percentage are "zero-day" variants that can escape detection by traditional signature-matching antivirus tools. While user training and frontline detection are important to defend your network against ransomware attacks, best practices demand that you take for granted some malware will eventually get through and that you prepare a strong backup mechanism that allows you to restore files and services quickly with minimal damage.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Checkup is an ultra-affordable service built around an online interview with a Progent security consultant experienced in ransomware defense and recovery. During this interview Progent will collaborate with your Boston network management staff to gather pertinent information concerning your security setup and backup processes. Progent will use this data to generate a Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment documenting how to adhere to best practices for configuring and administering your cybersecurity and backup systems to prevent or clean up after a crypto-ransomware assault.

Progent's Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment focuses on vital areas related to crypto-ransomware defense and restoration recovery. The review covers:

Cybersecurity

• Correct use of admin accounts
• Appropriate NTFS (New Technology File System) and SMB (Server Message Block) authorizations
• Optimal firewall configuration
• Secure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) access
• Recommend AntiVirus filtering identification and configuration

• Split permission model for backup protection
• Protecting critical servers such as Active Directory
• Geographically dispersed backups with cloud backup to Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts or deletes a victim's files so they cannot be used or are publicized. Crypto-ransomware sometimes locks the victim's computer. To prevent the damage, the target is required to send a certain amount of money, typically in the form of a crypto currency such as Bitcoin, within a short time window. It is not guaranteed that paying the ransom will recover the lost files or prevent its exposure to the public. Files can be encrypted or erased across a network depending on the target's write permissions, and you cannot reverse engineer the military-grade encryption algorithms used on the compromised files. A common ransomware delivery package is booby-trapped email, in which the victim is tricked into responding to by a social engineering technique called spear phishing. This makes the email to look as though it came from a trusted sender. Another common vulnerability is an improperly protected RDP port.

CryptoLocker opened the new age of ransomware in 2013, and the monetary losses attributed to by different strains of ransomware is estimated at billions of dollars per year, more than doubling every two years. Notorious examples are WannaCry, and Petya. Current high-profile variants like Ryuk, Sodinokibi and TeslaCrypt are more complex and have wreaked more damage than older strains. Even if your backup/recovery procedures allow you to recover your encrypted data, you can still be hurt by exfiltration, where ransomed documents are exposed to the public. Because new versions of ransomware crop up daily, there is no guarantee that traditional signature-based anti-virus filters will block a new malware. If an attack does appear in an email, it is important that your users have been taught to be aware of social engineering tricks. Your ultimate defense is a solid process for scheduling and retaining offsite backups plus the deployment of dependable recovery platforms.

Contact Progent About the ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Vulnerability Assessment in Boston
For pricing information and to find out more about how Progent's ProSight Crypto-Ransomware Vulnerability Consultation can enhance your defense against crypto-ransomware in Boston, call Progent at 800-462-8800 or visit Contact Progent.