Ransomware Hot Line: 800-462-8800
24x7 Remote Access to a Senior Ransomware Engineer
Ransomware needs time to work its way across a network. For this reason, ransomware assaults are commonly unleashed on weekends and at night, when IT staff are likely to take longer to recognize a penetration and are less able to mount a rapid and forceful defense. The more lateral movement ransomware is able to make within a victim's network, the longer it will require to recover core operations and scrambled files and the more information can be exfiltrated to the dark web.
Progent's Ransomware Hot Line is intended to guide organizations to take the urgent first phase in mitigating a ransomware attack by stopping the bleeding. Progent's online ransomware experts can assist organizations in the Oxford area to locate and isolate infected devices and guard undamaged resources from being penetrated.
If your system has been penetrated by any version of ransomware, don't panic. Get help quickly by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800.
Progent's Ransomware Response Services Offered in Oxford
Current strains of ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, DopplePaymer, and Nephilim encrypt online files and invade any accessible system restores and backups. Files synched to the cloud can also be corrupted. For a vulnerable environment, this can make automated recovery nearly impossible and basically sets the IT system back to square one. Threat Actors (TAs), the cybercriminals behind a ransomware assault, demand a ransom fee in exchange for the decryption tools needed to recover encrypted files. Ransomware attacks also attempt to steal (or "exfiltrate") files and hackers demand an extra payment for not publishing this information or selling it. Even if you can restore your system to a tolerable point in time, exfiltration can pose a major problem depending on the sensitivity of the downloaded data.
The restoration process after a ransomware attack has a number of distinct stages, the majority of which can proceed in parallel if the response workgroup has a sufficient number of members with the required skill sets.
- Quarantine: This urgent initial response involves blocking the lateral spread of ransomware within your network. The longer a ransomware assault is permitted to run unrestricted, the more complex and more costly the recovery effort. Because of this, Progent maintains a 24x7 Ransomware Hotline monitored by seasoned ransomware recovery engineers. Quarantine activities consist of isolating infected endpoint devices from the network to minimize the contagion, documenting the IT system, and protecting entry points.
- System continuity: This involves restoring the network to a minimal acceptable level of functionality with the shortest possible downtime. This process is typically the top priority for the victims of the ransomware assault, who often perceive it to be an existential issue for their business. This activity also requires the broadest array of IT skills that span domain controllers, DHCP servers, physical and virtual machines, desktops, laptops and smart phones, databases, office and line-of-business applications, network architecture, and secure remote access management. Progent's recovery team uses state-of-the-art collaboration tools to organize the complex recovery process. Progent appreciates the urgency of working rapidly, tirelessly, and in unison with a customer's management and network support group to prioritize activity and to get vital services on line again as fast as feasible.
- Data restoration: The work required to recover files impacted by a ransomware attack depends on the condition of the network, how many files are affected, and which restore techniques are needed. Ransomware attacks can destroy key databases which, if not properly shut down, may need to be rebuilt from the beginning. This can include DNS and Active Directory databases. Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SQL Server rely on AD, and many manufacturing and other business-critical platforms are powered by Microsoft SQL Server. Often some detective work could be required to locate undamaged data. For instance, undamaged Outlook Email Offline Folder Files may exist on employees' desktop computers and laptops that were not connected during the ransomware attack.
- Setting up modern antivirus/ransomware protection: ProSight ASM utilizes SentinelOne's behavioral analysis technology to offer small and mid-sized companies the advantages of the identical AV technology used by many of the world's largest corporations such as Walmart, Citi, and NASDAQ. By providing real-time malware blocking, identification, containment, repair and forensics in a single integrated platform, Progent's ASM cuts total cost of ownership, streamlines management, and promotes rapid resumption of operations. SentinelOne's next-generation endpoint protection engine incorporated in Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring was listed by Gartner Group as the industry's "most visionary Endpoint Protection Platform." Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Read about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring endpoint protection and ransomware defense with SentinelOne technology.
- Negotiating a settlement with the threat actor (TA): Progent has experience negotiating ransom settlements with hackers. This calls for working closely with the ransomware victim and the cyber insurance carrier, if there is one. Activities consist of determining the kind of ransomware involved in the attack; identifying and establishing communications the hacker; testing decryption capabilities; deciding on a settlement amount with the victim and the cyber insurance carrier; negotiating a settlement amount and timeline with the hacker; checking adherence to anti-money laundering regulations; carrying out the crypto-currency payment to the TA; receiving, learning, and operating the decryption utility; debugging decryption problems; building a pristine environment; mapping and connecting datastores to match exactly their pre-attack state; and reprovisioning computers and software services.
- Forensic analysis: This process involves discovering the ransomware attack's progress throughout the targeted network from start to finish. This history of the way a ransomware attack progressed within the network helps your IT staff to evaluate the impact and brings to light gaps in rules or processes that should be corrected to prevent later breaches. Forensics entails the review of all logs, registry, Group Policy Object, Active Directory (AD), DNS, routers, firewalls, scheduled tasks, and basic Windows systems to look for anomalies. Forensic analysis is usually assigned a top priority by the insurance carrier. Since forensic analysis can take time, it is essential that other important recovery processes like operational resumption are executed concurrently. Progent maintains a large roster of IT and cybersecurity experts with the knowledge and experience needed to perform the work of containment, business continuity, and data restoration without interfering with forensics.
Progent's Background
Progent has provided remote and on-premises network services throughout the U.S. for more than 20 years and has been awarded Microsoft's Gold Partner designation in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's team of SMEs includes consultants who have earned high-level certifications in foundation technology platforms including Cisco infrastructure, VMware, and major distributions of Linux. Progent's cybersecurity experts have earned industry-recognized certifications such as CISA, CISSP, and GIAC. (See certifications earned by Progent consultants). Progent also has guidance in financial and ERP application software. This scope of expertise allows Progent to salvage and integrate the surviving pieces of your information system following a ransomware intrusion and reconstruct them rapidly into a functioning network. Progent has worked with leading insurance carriers including Chubb to help businesses recover from ransomware assaults.
Contact Progent for Ransomware System Recovery Consulting Services in Oxford
For ransomware cleanup services in the Oxford metro area, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or go to Contact Progent.