Allen Ransomware Protection and Removal Services

Ransomware has become the weapon of choice for cybercriminals and malicious states, posing a potentially lethal threat to companies that fall victim. The latest strains of crypto-ransomware target all vulnerable resources, including online backup, making even partial restoration a challenging and costly process. Novel versions of crypto-ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Mailto (aka Netwalker), Phobos, LockBit and Nephilim have made the headlines, displacing Locky, Spora, and Petya in prominence, sophistication, and destructiveness.

90% of crypto-ransomware penetrations are caused by innocent-looking emails that have malicious links or file attachments, and a high percentage are so-called "zero-day" attacks that elude detection by legacy signature-matching antivirus (AV) tools. Although user training and frontline detection are important to defend against ransomware, best practices demand that you assume some malware will inevitably get through and that you put in place a strong backup solution that enables you to repair the damage quickly with minimal losses.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Assessment is an ultra-affordable service built around an online discussion with a Progent cybersecurity consultant experienced in ransomware protection and repair. During this assessment Progent will cooperate with your Allen network management staff to gather critical data concerning your cybersecurity configuration and backup environment. Progent will utilize this data to generate a Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment detailing how to apply leading practices for implementing and administering your security and backup systems to prevent or clean up after a crypto-ransomware attack.

Progent's Basic Security and Best Practices Assessment focuses on key areas associated with ransomware prevention and restoration recovery. The report addresses:

Cybersecurity

• Effective use of administration accounts
• Correct NTFS (New Technology File System) and SMB (Server Message Block) permissions
• Optimal firewall settings
• Secure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) configuration
• Recommend AntiVirus (AV) filtering identification and deployment

• Split permission architecture for backup protection
• Backing up required servers such as Active Directory
• Geographically dispersed backups including cloud backup to Microsoft Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts or deletes a victim's files so they are unusable or are made publicly available. Ransomware sometimes locks the victim's computer. To prevent the damage, the victim is asked to pay a specified amount of money, usually via a crypto currency such as Bitcoin, within a short period of time. It is not guaranteed that delivering the extortion price will recover the damaged files or avoid its exposure to the public. Files can be altered or deleted across a network based on the victim's write permissions, and you cannot break the strong encryption technologies used on the hostage files. A common ransomware delivery package is booby-trapped email, in which the victim is lured into interacting with by means of a social engineering exploit called spear phishing. This causes the email to appear to come from a familiar sender. Another common attack vector is an improperly secured RDP port.

The ransomware variant CryptoLocker ushered in the modern era of ransomware in 2013, and the monetary losses caused by the many strains of ransomware is estimated at billions of dollars annually, more than doubling every two years. Notorious examples are WannaCry, and Petya. Recent headline variants like Ryuk, Sodinokibi and Cerber are more sophisticated and have caused more damage than older strains. Even if your backup/recovery procedures enable you to recover your ransomed files, you can still be hurt by exfiltration, where ransomed data are made public. Because additional variants of ransomware crop up daily, there is no guarantee that traditional signature-based anti-virus filters will detect a new malware. If threat does appear in an email, it is critical that your users have learned to identify phishing techniques. Your ultimate protection is a sound scheme for performing and retaining offsite backups plus the use of dependable restoration platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Ransomware Readiness Report in Allen
For pricing information and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Ransomware Susceptibility Consultation can bolster your defense against crypto-ransomware in Allen, call Progent at 800-462-8800 or see Contact Progent.