Ransomware Hot Line: 800-462-8800
24x7 Remote Access to a Senior Ransomware Engineer
Ransomware needs time to work its way across a target network. For this reason, ransomware assaults are typically launched on weekends and late at night, when IT staff may be slower to become aware of a penetration and are least able to mount a rapid and forceful defense. The more lateral progress ransomware can make within a victim's network, the more time it takes to restore core IT services and scrambled files and the more data can be exfiltrated to the dark web.
Progent's Ransomware Hot Line is designed to guide you to complete the urgent first phase in responding to a ransomware assault by stopping the bleeding. Progent's remote ransomware engineers can help businesses in the Panama City metro area to identify and isolate infected servers and endpoints and guard undamaged resources from being compromised.
If your network has been penetrated by any strain of ransomware, don't panic. Get help quickly by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800.
Progent's Ransomware Recovery Expertise Available in Panama City
Modern strains of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Netwalker, and Nephilim encrypt online files and infiltrate any accessible system restores and backups. Files synched to the cloud can also be corrupted. For a poorly defended network, this can make automated recovery nearly impossible and basically knocks the datacenter back to square one. So-called Threat Actors, the cybercriminals behind a ransomware attack, demand a ransom payment for the decryptors needed to recover encrypted files. Ransomware assaults also attempt to exfiltrate information and hackers require an extra settlement for not publishing this information on the dark web. Even if you are able to rollback your system to a tolerable date in time, exfiltration can be a big problem according to the sensitivity of the stolen information.
The recovery process after a ransomware penetration has a number of distinct phases, the majority of which can proceed in parallel if the response workgroup has enough people with the necessary experience.
- Containment: This time-critical first response involves blocking the lateral spread of ransomware within your network. The longer a ransomware attack is allowed to go unchecked, the more complex and more costly the recovery process. Recognizing this, Progent keeps a round-the-clock Ransomware Hotline staffed by seasoned ransomware response experts. Containment processes include isolating infected endpoints from the network to minimize the contagion, documenting the environment, and protecting entry points.
- System continuity: This involves bringing back the IT system to a basic useful level of functionality with the least downtime. This process 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 project also requires the broadest range of IT abilities that cover domain controllers, DHCP servers, physical and virtual servers, PCs, laptops and smart phones, databases, office and line-of-business apps, network architecture, and protected endpoint access. Progent's ransomware recovery team uses advanced workgroup platforms to organize the complex recovery effort. Progent understands the importance of working rapidly, continuously, and in concert with a customer's management and IT group to prioritize activity and to put critical resources back online as quickly as possible.
- Data recovery: The work necessary to recover data impacted by a ransomware attack varies according to the state of the network, how many files are affected, and which restore techniques are required. Ransomware attacks can destroy pivotal databases which, if not carefully shut down, may have to be reconstructed from the beginning. This can apply to DNS and Active Directory databases. Exchange and SQL Server depend on AD, and many ERP and other mission-critical platforms are powered by SQL Server. Some detective work may be needed to find clean data. For example, undamaged OST files (Outlook Email Offline Folder Files) may exist on employees' desktop computers and laptops that were not connected during the ransomware attack.
- Setting up advanced AV/ransomware defense: Progent's ProSight ASM uses SentinelOne's machine learning technology to give small and medium-sized businesses the benefits of the identical anti-virus tools used by some of the world's largest enterprises such as Netflix, Citi, and Salesforce. By delivering real-time malware blocking, detection, mitigation, restoration and analysis in one integrated platform, Progent's ASM lowers total cost of ownership, streamlines management, and expedites recovery. SentinelOne's next-generation endpoint protection (NGEP) built into in Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring was ranked by Gartner Group as the "most visionary Endpoint Protection Platform." Progent is a SentinelOne Partner. Read about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware recovery with SentinelOne technology.
- Negotiation with the threat actor (TA): Progent is experienced in negotiating settlements with threat actors. This calls for close co-operation with the victim and the insurance provider, if any. Activities include establishing the type of ransomware involved in the attack; identifying and making contact with the hacker; verifying decryption capabilities; deciding on a settlement with the victim and the insurance provider; establishing a settlement and timeline with the TA; checking adherence to anti-money laundering sanctions; carrying out the crypto-currency transfer to the TA; acquiring, learning, and operating the decryption utility; debugging failed files; creating a clean environment; mapping and reconnecting datastores to reflect exactly their pre-encryption condition; and restoring physical and virtual devices and services.
- Forensic analysis: This activity is aimed at discovering the ransomware assault's progress across the targeted network from start to finish. This audit trail of how a ransomware assault progressed within the network helps your IT staff to assess the damage and uncovers shortcomings in rules or processes that need to be rectified to prevent later breaches. Forensics entails the review of all logs, registry, Group Policy Object (GPO), Active Directory, DNS servers, routers, firewalls, schedulers, and core Windows systems to check for changes. Forensic analysis is usually given a high priority by the insurance provider. Because forensics can take time, it is vital that other key recovery processes like operational continuity are executed concurrently. Progent has a large roster of IT and data security professionals with the knowledge and experience needed to carry out activities for containment, business continuity, and data recovery without interfering with forensics.
Progent's Qualifications
Progent has provided online and onsite network services across the United States for more than two decades and has earned Microsoft's Gold Partner certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity practice areas. Progent's team of SMEs includes consultants who have been awarded high-level certifications in foundation technology platforms such as Cisco networking, VMware virtualization, and major Linux distros. Progent's data security experts have earned industry-recognized certifications such as CISA, CISSP-ISSAP, and GIAC. (See certifications earned by Progent consultants). Progent also offers guidance in financial and ERP application software. This broad array of skills gives Progent the ability to salvage and consolidate the undamaged pieces of your network following a ransomware intrusion and reconstruct them quickly into a functioning system. Progent has worked with top insurance providers including Chubb to assist organizations clean up after ransomware assaults.
Contact Progent for Ransomware Recovery Consulting in Panama City
For ransomware cleanup consulting in the Panama City area, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.