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Crypto-Ransomware : Your Feared IT Nightmare
Crypto-Ransomware has become a too-frequent cyberplague that represents an enterprise-level threat for businesses vulnerable to an assault. Versions of crypto-ransomware such as CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, Bad Rabbit, Syskey and MongoLock cryptoworms have been around for many years and still cause harm. The latest strains of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Conti or Nephilim, plus additional as yet unnamed viruses, not only encrypt on-line critical data but also infiltrate many configured system backups. Data synched to cloud environments can also be corrupted. In a poorly designed system, this can render automated recovery impossible and basically sets the entire system back to zero.

Recovering applications and information after a crypto-ransomware attack becomes a race against time as the victim struggles to stop lateral movement, cleanup the ransomware, and resume mission-critical activity. Since crypto-ransomware requires time to move laterally, penetrations are frequently sprung during weekends and nights, when successful penetrations typically take more time to notice. This compounds the difficulty of quickly marshalling and orchestrating an experienced response team.

Progent makes available a range of services for protecting enterprises from crypto-ransomware attacks. These include team member training to become familiar with and not fall victim to phishing attempts, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, plus setup and configuration of next-generation security appliances with machine learning capabilities from SentinelOne to discover and extinguish new cyber threats quickly. Progent in addition can provide the assistance of veteran crypto-ransomware recovery engineers with the track record and commitment to re-deploy a compromised network as rapidly as possible.

Progent's Crypto-Ransomware Recovery Support Services
Soon after a crypto-ransomware invasion, sending the ransom in cryptocurrency does not provide any assurance that criminal gangs will return the codes to decrypt any or all of your data. Kaspersky determined that 17% of ransomware victims never restored their data even after having sent off the ransom, resulting in increased losses. The risk is also expensive. Ryuk ransoms are commonly a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom can reach millions of dollars. The fallback is to setup from scratch the mission-critical elements of your IT environment. Absent access to full information backups, this calls for a wide range of skills, professional project management, and the willingness to work 24x7 until the recovery project is finished.

For two decades, Progent has made available professional IT services for companies across the U.S. and has earned Microsoft's Partnership certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's group of subject matter experts includes engineers who have been awarded top certifications in leading technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's security experts have earned internationally-recognized certifications including CISM, CISSP-ISSAP, ISACA CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (Refer to Progent's certifications). Progent also has experience with accounting and ERP software solutions. This breadth of experience provides Progent the ability to knowledgably determine important systems and organize the surviving pieces of your computer network environment after a ransomware event and rebuild them into an operational network.

Progent's security team uses state-of-the-art project management systems to coordinate the sophisticated restoration process. Progent understands the urgency of working swiftly and in unison with a customer's management and Information Technology team members to assign priority to tasks and to put critical systems back online as fast as possible.

Business Case Study: A Successful Crypto-Ransomware Penetration Response
A business hired Progent after their network system was penetrated by Ryuk ransomware. Ryuk is believed to have been developed by North Korean state sponsored hackers, suspected of adopting technology exposed from the United States NSA organization. Ryuk seeks specific companies with limited room for disruption and is among the most lucrative examples of ransomware malware. Well Known organizations include Data Resolution, a California-based info warehousing and cloud computing business, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's client is a small manufacturer based in Chicago and has around 500 workers. The Ryuk intrusion had shut down all company operations and manufacturing processes. The majority of the client's information backups had been online at the time of the attack and were damaged. The client was actively seeking loans for paying the ransom demand (in excess of two hundred thousand dollars) and hoping for the best, but in the end reached out to Progent.

Progent worked hand in hand the client to quickly get our arms around and prioritize the essential elements that had to be addressed in order to resume departmental functions:

• Windows Active Directory
• Microsoft Exchange Server
• MRP System

In less than 48 hours, Progent was able to restore Active Directory to its pre-virus state. Progent then helped perform reinstallations and hard drive recovery on critical servers. All Microsoft Exchange Server data and configuration information were intact, which accelerated the restore of Exchange. Progent was also able to assemble intact OST files (Microsoft Outlook Offline Folder Files) on team workstations in order to recover email information. A recent offline backup of the customer's financials/ERP software made them able to recover these essential programs back online. Although a lot of work needed to be completed to recover totally from the Ryuk virus, the most important services were restored rapidly:

During the following few weeks important milestones in the restoration project were made in tight cooperation between Progent consultants and the customer:

• Self-hosted web applications were returned to operation without losing any information.
• The MailStore Exchange Server with over 4 million archived messages was brought online and available for users.
• CRM/Product Ordering/Invoicing/Accounts Payable (AP)/AR/Inventory modules were 100 percent functional.
• A new Palo Alto 850 security appliance was installed and configured.
• 90% of the user desktops were fully operational.

Conclusion
A likely business catastrophe was dodged with top-tier professionals, a wide range of knowledge, and close teamwork. Although upon completion of forensics the crypto-ransomware attack detailed here would have been stopped with advanced cyber security systems and NIST Cybersecurity Framework best practices, user education, and well thought out incident response procedures for information protection and proper patching controls, the reality remains that government-sponsored cybercriminals from China, North Korea and elsewhere are tireless and are an ongoing threat. If you do get hit by a ransomware incursion, remember that Progent's roster of experts has a proven track record in ransomware virus defense, mitigation, and file restoration.

To read or download a PDF version of this ransomware incident report, click:
Progent's Crypto-Ransomware Recovery Case Study Datasheet. (PDF - 282 KB)

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Available from Progent
Progent offers companies in Broomfield a range of remote monitoring and security evaluation services designed to help you to minimize the threat from ransomware. These services utilize modern machine learning capability to uncover zero-day variants of crypto-ransomware that can get past traditional signature-based security solutions.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop remote monitoring managed service that incorporates state-of-the-art remote monitoring and management (RMM) technology to help keep your IT system operating efficiently by checking the state of critical computers that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch detects a problem, an alert is transmitted immediately to your specified IT management personnel and your assigned Progent engineering consultant so all potential problems can be addressed before they can impact productivity. Learn more details about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Centralized RMM Solution for Networks, Servers, and Desktops
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software delivers a centralized, cloud-based platform for monitoring and managing your client-server infrastructure by offering an environment for streamlining common time-consuming tasks. These include health monitoring, update management, automated repairs, endpoint configuration, backup and recovery, anti-virus protection, secure remote access, standard and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint status reports, and troubleshooting assistance. When ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM identifies a serious problem, it sends an alert to your specified IT staff and your assigned Progent consultant so that potential problems can be taken care of before they interfere with productivity. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  Progent's ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure management service that makes it simple and inexpensive for small and mid-sized businesses to map out, monitor, optimize and troubleshoot their connectivity hardware like switches, firewalls, and load balancers as well as servers, endpoints and other networked devices. Using cutting-edge Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, ProSight WAN Watch makes sure that network diagrams are always updated, captures and manages the configuration information of almost all devices on your network, tracks performance, and sends alerts when issues are discovered. By automating tedious network management activities, ProSight WAN Watch can knock hours off common chores such as network mapping, reconfiguring your network, finding devices that need important software patches, or resolving performance bottlenecks. Learn more about ProSight WAN Watch infrastructure management services.

• ProSight Reporting: In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Platforms
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding suite of real-time and in-depth reporting tools created to integrate with the industry's leading ticketing and network monitoring platforms such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and features color coding to surface and contextualize key issues like spotty support follow-through or endpoints with out-of-date AVs. By exposing ticketing or network health concerns concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves productivity, reduces management hassle, and saves money. For more information, visit ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring applications.

• ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS): Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has partnered with leading backup software companies to produce ProSight Data Protection Services, a selection of subscription-based management outsourcing plans that provide backup-as-a-service (BaaS). ProSight DPS products manage and monitor your backup processes and enable non-disruptive backup and rapid recovery of important files/folders, apps, images, plus Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. ProSight DPS lets your business recover from data loss caused by equipment failures, natural calamities, fire, cyber attacks like ransomware, human mistakes, malicious employees, or application bugs. Managed services in the ProSight DPS product family include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight DPS ECHO Backup based on Barracuda dedicated hardware, and ProSight MSP360 Cloud and On-prem Backup. Your Progent expert can assist you to identify which of these managed backup services are best suited for your IT environment.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam and virus filtering and email encryption service that uses the infrastructure of top information security companies to provide centralized management and comprehensive security for all your email traffic. The hybrid structure of Progent's Email Guard managed service combines cloud-based filtering with an on-premises gateway device to provide complete protection against spam, viruses, Denial of Service Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-based threats. Email Guard's cloud filter serves as a preliminary barricade and blocks most threats from reaching your network firewall. This decreases your vulnerability to inbound attacks and conserves system bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's onsite security gateway device adds a deeper level of analysis for incoming email. For outbound email, the local security gateway offers anti-virus and anti-spam protection, DLP, and email encryption. The local security gateway can also help Microsoft Exchange Server to monitor and protect internal email that stays inside your corporate firewall. For more information, visit ProSight Email Guard spam filtering and data leakage protection.

• ProSight Duo Two-Factor Authentication: ID Confirmation, Endpoint Remediation, and Secure Single Sign-on (SSO)
  Progent's Duo MFA service plans utilize Cisco's Duo technology to defend against stolen passwords through the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables one-tap identity verification with Apple iOS, Google Android, and other personal devices. With Duo 2FA, whenever you sign into a protected online account and enter your password you are requested to verify who you are via a unit that only you have and that uses a different ("out-of-band") network channel. A broad selection of devices can be utilized as this added means of ID validation such as an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You can designate multiple validation devices. To learn more about Duo identity authentication services, see Duo MFA two-factor authentication services.

• Progent's Outsourced/Shared Help Desk: Call Center Managed Services
  Progent's Support Center services allow your IT team to offload Help Desk services to Progent or split activity for Service Desk support transparently between your internal network support group and Progent's nationwide roster of certified IT service technicians, engineers and subject matter experts (SMEs). Progent's Shared Help Desk Service provides a seamless supplement to your core network support group. User access to the Help Desk, delivery of support services, issue escalation, trouble ticket generation and tracking, efficiency measurement, and management of the support database are consistent regardless of whether incidents are taken care of by your core network support group, by Progent, or a mix of the two. Learn more about Progent's outsourced/shared Call Center services.

• Active Defense Against Ransomware: AI-based Ransomware Detection and Remediation
  Progent's Active Protection Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) managed service that utilizes cutting edge behavior analysis tools to guard endpoints and physical and virtual servers against new malware assaults such as ransomware and email phishing, which easily escape traditional signature-based anti-virus products. Progent Active Security Monitoring services safeguard local and cloud-based resources and provides a single platform to manage the entire threat progression including filtering, infiltration detection, containment, cleanup, and forensics. Top features include one-click rollback using Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service and real-time system-wide immunization against newly discovered threats. Learn more about Progent's ransomware protection and recovery services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation Management
  Progent's ProSight IT Asset Management service is an IT infrastructure documentation management service that makes it easy to create, maintain, find and protect data related to your network infrastructure, processes, business apps, and services. You can instantly locate passwords or serial numbers and be alerted about upcoming expirations of SSLs or warranties. By cleaning up and managing your IT documentation, you can save as much as 50% of time wasted searching for critical information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a centralized repository for storing and sharing all documents related to managing your business network like standard operating procedures and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers a high level of automation for gathering and relating IT information. Whether you're planning improvements, performing regular maintenance, or reacting to an emergency, ProSight IT Asset Management delivers the information you need as soon as you need it. Find out more about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Patch Management: Software/Firmware Update Management Services
  Progent's managed services for software and firmware patch management offer businesses of all sizes a flexible and affordable alternative for evaluating, validating, scheduling, implementing, and documenting updates to your dynamic IT network. Besides maximizing the protection and reliability of your IT environment, Progent's software/firmware update management services permit your in-house IT staff to focus on more strategic projects and activities that derive the highest business value from your information network. Find out more about Progent's patch management support services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted Virtual Machines at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small or mid-size business can have its critical servers and applications hosted in a secure fault tolerant data center on a high-performance virtual machine host configured and maintained by Progent's network support experts. With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting model, the client retains ownership of the data, the operating system software, and the applications. Because the system is virtualized, it can be moved easily to an alternate hosting environment without requiring a time-consuming and difficult configuration procedure. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, your business is not locked into a single hosting provider. Find out more details about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) is an endpoint protection service that incorporates SentinelOne's cutting edge behavior analysis technology to guard physical and virtual endpoint devices against new malware attacks such as ransomware and email phishing, which easily get by legacy signature-matching anti-virus products. ProSight ASM safeguards local and cloud resources and provides a unified platform to address the complete malware attack lifecycle including protection, infiltration detection, mitigation, remediation, and forensics. Top capabilities include one-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. Read more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware recovery.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection: Physical and Virtual Endpoint Security and Exchange Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) managed services deliver economical in-depth protection for physical and virtual servers, desktops, mobile devices, and Microsoft Exchange. ProSight ESP uses adaptive security and modern behavior analysis for continuously monitoring and reacting to cyber assaults from all vectors. ProSight ESP delivers firewall protection, penetration alarms, device control, and web filtering via cutting-edge tools packaged within a single agent managed from a single console. Progent's data protection and virtualization consultants can help your business to plan and implement a ProSight ESP environment that meets your company's specific needs and that helps you achieve and demonstrate compliance with government and industry data security standards. Progent will help you define and implement policies that ProSight ESP will manage, and Progent will monitor your IT environment and react to alerts that require urgent attention. Progent can also help you to install and test a backup and disaster recovery system such as ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can recover rapidly from a destructive security attack such as ransomware. Read more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified physical and virtual endpoint protection and Microsoft Exchange filtering.