Ransomware Hot Line: 800-462-8800
24x7 Online Access to a Senior Ransomware Consultant
Ransomware requires time to work its way through a network. For this reason, ransomware assaults are typically launched on weekends and late at night, when support personnel may take longer to become aware of a penetration and are least able to mount a quick and coordinated defense. The more lateral progress ransomware is able to make within a victim's network, the more time it takes to recover basic operations and scrambled files and the more information can be exfiltrated to the dark web.
Progent's Ransomware Hot Line is intended to assist you to carry out the urgent first phase in mitigating a ransomware assault by stopping the bleeding. Progent's online ransomware experts can help organizations in the Thousand Oaks metro area to identify and isolate infected devices and guard clean assets from being compromised.
If your network has been breached by any version of ransomware, act fast. Get immediate help by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800.
Progent's Ransomware Response Expertise Offered in Thousand Oaks
Modern strains of ransomware such as Ryuk, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, and Egregor encrypt online data and invade any accessible system restores and backups. Files synched to the cloud can also be impacted. For a poorly defended network, this can make automated restoration nearly impossible and effectively knocks the IT system back to square one. Threat Actors, the hackers behind a ransomware assault, demand a settlement fee in exchange for the decryptors required to unlock encrypted data. Ransomware attacks also attempt to exfiltrate information and hackers demand an extra ransom in exchange for not publishing this information on the dark web. Even if you are able to restore your network to an acceptable date in time, exfiltration can be a big issue according to the sensitivity of the stolen data.
The recovery process subsequent to ransomware attack involves several crucial phases, the majority of which can be performed in parallel if the response team has enough members with the necessary skill sets.
- Quarantine: This time-critical first response involves arresting the lateral spread of the attack across your IT system. The more time a ransomware attack is permitted to go unrestricted, the longer and more expensive the restoration effort. Recognizing this, Progent maintains a round-the-clock Ransomware Hotline staffed by veteran ransomware response engineers. Containment processes consist of isolating infected endpoint devices from the network to restrict the spread, documenting the IT system, and securing entry points.
- Operational continuity: This covers bringing back the network to a basic useful degree of functionality with the shortest possible delay. This effort is typically the top priority for the targets 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 cover domain controllers, DHCP servers, physical and virtual servers, desktops, laptops and smart phones, databases, productivity and mission-critical applications, network architecture, and secure endpoint access. Progent's recovery team uses state-of-the-art workgroup tools to coordinate the complicated recovery process. Progent understands the importance of working quickly, continuously, and in concert with a client's managers and IT group to prioritize tasks and to put vital services back online as quickly as possible.
- Data recovery: The effort necessary to restore files impacted by a ransomware attack depends on the condition of the network, the number of files that are affected, and what restore methods are needed. Ransomware attacks can destroy critical databases which, if not gracefully closed, might have to be reconstructed from the beginning. This can apply to DNS and Active Directory (AD) databases. Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server rely on AD, and many manufacturing and other business-critical applications are powered by SQL Server. Often some detective work could be needed to locate clean data. For example, undamaged OST files may exist on employees' PCs and laptops that were not connected during the attack. Progent's Altaro VM Backup consultants can help you to utilize immutable backup for cloud object storage, enabling tamper-proof data while under the defined policy so that backup data cannot be modified or deleted by anyone including administrators. This provides another level of security and restoration ability in the event of a ransomware breach.
- Implementing advanced antivirus/ransomware defense: ProSight ASM uses SentinelOne's machine learning technology to offer small and medium-sized companies the advantages of the identical AV tools deployed by some of the world's biggest enterprises such as Walmart, Visa, and Salesforce. By providing in-line malware filtering, classification, containment, repair and analysis in a single integrated platform, ProSight Active Security Monitoring reduces total cost of ownership, streamlines management, and promotes rapid recovery. SentinelOne's next-generation endpoint protection (NGEP) incorporated in ProSight ASM was listed 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) next-generation 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 close co-operation with the ransomware victim and the cyber insurance provider, if there is one. Activities include determining the type of ransomware involved in the assault; identifying and making contact with the hacker; testing decryption tool; deciding on a settlement amount with the ransomware victim and the cyber insurance carrier; negotiating a settlement amount and schedule with the hacker; confirming compliance with anti-money laundering sanctions; overseeing the crypto-currency transfer to the TA; receiving, reviewing, and operating the decryptor utility; troubleshooting decryption problems; building a clean environment; mapping and connecting datastores to reflect precisely their pre-encryption condition; and restoring computers and services.
- Forensic analysis: This activity is aimed at uncovering the ransomware attack's progress across the targeted network from start to finish. This history of how a ransomware assault travelled through the network assists your IT staff to evaluate the impact and uncovers gaps in policies or work habits that need to be corrected to prevent later breaches. Forensics involves the examination of all logs, registry, GPO, Active Directory, DNS, routers, firewalls, scheduled tasks, and basic Windows systems to check for anomalies. Forensics is usually assigned a high priority by the insurance provider. Because forensic analysis can take time, it is critical that other key recovery processes like operational continuity are pursued in parallel. Progent has an extensive team of IT and security professionals with the skills required to carry out activities for containment, business continuity, and data recovery without disrupting forensic analysis.
Progent's Qualifications
Progent has provided remote and onsite IT services throughout the U.S. for over 20 years and has earned Microsoft's Gold Partner certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's team of subject matter experts (SMEs) includes professionals who have earned high-level certifications in core technologies such as Cisco infrastructure, VMware virtualization, and major Linux distros. Progent's cybersecurity experts have earned prestigious certifications including CISM, CISSP, and CRISC. (Refer to Progent's certifications). Progent also offers top-tier support in financial and Enterprise Resource Planning applications. This broad array of skills allows Progent to salvage and consolidate the undamaged parts of your IT environment after a ransomware assault and reconstruct them rapidly into a functioning system. Progent has worked with leading cyber insurance providers including Chubb to assist organizations clean up after ransomware assaults.
Contact Progent for Ransomware System Recovery Expertise in Thousand Oaks
For ransomware system recovery expertise in the Thousand Oaks metro area, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.