Charleston 24x7x365 Emergency Crypto-Ransomware
Computer Virus Assessment and Remediation Support

Ransomware : Your Crippling IT Nightmare
Ransomware has become a too-frequent cyberplague that poses an enterprise-level threat for organizations poorly prepared for an assault. Multiple generations of ransomware such as Dharma, WannaCry, Locky, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been around for years and continue to cause havoc. More recent variants of crypto-ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, LockBit or Nephilim, along with daily as yet unnamed viruses, not only do encryption of on-line information but also infiltrate most available system backup. Files synchronized to off-site disaster recovery sites can also be held hostage. In a poorly architected data protection solution, this can make automated restore operations useless and effectively knocks the datacenter back to zero.

Restoring programs and information after a ransomware outage becomes a sprint against time as the targeted organization fights to stop lateral movement, remove the ransomware, and resume business-critical activity. Since ransomware needs time to replicate, assaults are often sprung on weekends and holidays, when successful penetrations tend to take more time to detect. This multiplies the difficulty of quickly mobilizing and orchestrating a knowledgeable mitigation team.

Progent has a variety of solutions for securing enterprises from ransomware events. Among these are team education to help identify and avoid phishing exploits, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, along with installation of modern security gateways with machine learning technology from SentinelOne to identify and extinguish new threats intelligently. Progent in addition can provide the assistance of seasoned ransomware recovery consultants with the talent and perseverance to re-deploy a compromised system as rapidly as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Restoration Support Services
Following a crypto-ransomware invasion, paying the ransom in cryptocurrency does not ensure that cyber criminals will respond with the keys to unencrypt all your files. Kaspersky Labs ascertained that 17% of ransomware victims never recovered their files even after having paid the ransom, resulting in increased losses. The risk is also expensive. Ryuk ransoms are commonly a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger organizations, the ransom demand can be in the millions of dollars. The alternative is to re-install the critical components of your Information Technology environment. Without the availability of complete information backups, this requires a wide complement of skills, top notch project management, and the ability to work continuously until the task is complete.

For twenty years, Progent has made available expert Information Technology services for companies across the U.S. and has earned Microsoft's Partnership certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's pool of subject matter experts includes professionals who have attained high-level industry certifications in important technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cyber security consultants have garnered internationally-recognized certifications including CISM, CISSP-ISSAP, ISACA CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (See Progent's certifications). Progent in addition has experience in financial management and ERP applications. This breadth of experience gives Progent the capability to efficiently determine important systems and re-organize the surviving components of your network system following a crypto-ransomware penetration and assemble them into a functioning system.

Progent's security team of experts has powerful project management applications to coordinate the complicated restoration process. Progent understands the importance of acting quickly and in concert with a customer's management and Information Technology staff to prioritize tasks and to put critical services back on line as fast as humanly possible.

Business Case Study: A Successful Ransomware Penetration Restoration
A small business escalated to Progent after their company was taken over by Ryuk ransomware. Ryuk is generally considered to have been deployed by North Korean state sponsored cybercriminals, possibly using algorithms exposed from the United States National Security Agency. Ryuk attacks specific businesses with limited tolerance for operational disruption and is one of the most profitable examples of crypto-ransomware. High publicized victims include Data Resolution, a California-based data warehousing and cloud computing firm, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's customer is a regional manufacturing business located in the Chicago metro area with around 500 employees. The Ryuk attack had brought down all essential operations and manufacturing processes. The majority of the client's backups had been online at the time of the intrusion and were damaged. The client was actively seeking loans for paying the ransom (exceeding two hundred thousand dollars) and wishfully thinking for good luck, but ultimately engaged Progent.

Progent worked together with the customer to rapidly identify and assign priority to the mission critical elements that had to be restored to make it possible to restart company functions:

• Windows Active Directory
• E-Mail
• Accounting and Manufacturing Software

Within two days, Progent was able to rebuild Windows Active Directory to its pre-intrusion state. Progent then initiated setup and storage recovery of the most important systems. All Microsoft Exchange Server ties and configuration information were intact, which facilitated the rebuild of Exchange. Progent was able to assemble local OST files (Microsoft Outlook Offline Folder Files) on team PCs and laptops in order to recover email data. A not too old offline backup of the client's accounting/MRP software made it possible to return these required applications back servicing users. Although major work still had to be done to recover fully from the Ryuk virus, critical services were restored rapidly:

Throughout the following month critical milestones in the restoration project were achieved through tight collaboration between Progent consultants and the client:

• Internal web applications were brought back up without losing any information.
• The MailStore Server containing more than four million historical messages was spun up and available for users.
• CRM/Orders/Invoicing/AP/Accounts Receivables (AR)/Inventory modules were fully operational.
• A new Palo Alto 850 security appliance was set up.
• Ninety percent of the desktop computers were fully operational.

Conclusion
A likely business-killing catastrophe was evaded with results-oriented professionals, a broad spectrum of knowledge, and close teamwork. Although in retrospect the ransomware virus penetration described here could have been identified and stopped with advanced security systems and NIST Cybersecurity Framework best practices, user education, and appropriate incident response procedures for data protection and proper patching controls, the reality is that government-sponsored hackers from China, Russia, North Korea and elsewhere are relentless and will continue. If you do fall victim to a ransomware incursion, feel confident that Progent's team of professionals has extensive experience in ransomware virus defense, removal, and file recovery.

To read or download a PDF version of this customer story, please click:
Progent's Ransomware Virus Recovery Case Study Datasheet. (PDF - 282 KB)

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Available from Progent
Progent can provide companies in Charleston a portfolio of online monitoring and security assessment services to help you to reduce your vulnerability to ransomware. These services utilize next-generation artificial intelligence technology to detect zero-day variants of ransomware that are able to evade traditional signature-based security solutions.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Monitoring and Management
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop remote monitoring managed service that uses advanced remote monitoring and management techniques to keep your IT system operating efficiently by checking the state of vital assets that power your business network. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers a problem, an alarm is sent automatically to your specified IT staff and your Progent engineering consultant so that any looming problems can be addressed before they can disrupt your network. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop remote monitoring consulting.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Centralized RMM Solution for Networks, Servers, and Desktops
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software offers a unified, cloud-based solution for monitoring and managing your network, server, and desktop devices by offering an environment for performing common time-consuming tasks. These include health monitoring, patch management, automated remediation, endpoint configuration, backup and recovery, A/V response, secure remote access, standard and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint status reporting, and debugging support. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM uncovers a serious problem, it transmits an alarm to your specified IT management personnel and your Progent consultant so that potential problems can be fixed before they interfere with productivity. Find out more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop remote monitoring consulting.

• 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, track, optimize and troubleshoot their connectivity hardware such as routers, firewalls, and wireless controllers as well as servers, endpoints and other networked devices. Incorporating cutting-edge RMM technology, WAN Watch ensures that network maps are always updated, captures and manages the configuration of almost all devices on your network, tracks performance, and generates notices when issues are detected. By automating time-consuming management activities, ProSight WAN Watch can knock hours off common tasks like network mapping, expanding your network, finding appliances that need important software patches, or identifying the cause of performance problems. Find out more about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure management services.

• ProSight Reporting: In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Applications
  ProSight Reporting is a growing line of real-time management reporting tools designed to integrate with the industry's top ticketing and network monitoring applications including ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and features color coding to surface and contextualize critical issues such as spotty support follow-up or machines with missing patches. By exposing ticketing or network health problems clearly and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves productivity, reduces management overhead, and saves money. For details, see ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring applications.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has worked with leading backup technology companies to create ProSight Data Protection Services, a portfolio of subscription-based management outsourcing plans that deliver backup-as-a-service (BaaS). ProSight DPS products manage and monitor your backup processes and enable transparent backup and rapid recovery of vital files, apps, images, and Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. ProSight DPS helps you avoid data loss caused by hardware failures, natural calamities, fire, malware such as ransomware, user error, malicious insiders, or software glitches. Managed services in the ProSight Data Protection Services product family include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight DPS ECHO Backup using Barracuda dedicated hardware, and ProSight DPS MSP360 Hybrid Backup. Your Progent service representative can assist you to identify which of these managed services are most appropriate for your network.

• 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 data security vendors to deliver web-based management and comprehensive security for all your email traffic. The powerful structure of Progent's Email Guard combines cloud-based filtering with a local gateway device to provide complete protection against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-based threats. The Cloud Protection Layer acts as a preliminary barricade and blocks the vast majority of threats from making it to your security perimeter. This reduces your vulnerability to external threats and conserves network bandwidth and storage. Email Guard's on-premises gateway appliance adds a further level of inspection for incoming email. For outbound email, the onsite gateway offers AV and anti-spam filtering, protection against data leaks, and email encryption. The onsite gateway can also help Exchange Server to monitor and safeguard internal email traffic that stays inside your corporate firewall. For more information, see ProSight Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight Duo Two-Factor Authentication: Identity Validation, Endpoint Remediation, and Secure Single Sign-on
  Progent's Duo MFA managed services incorporate Cisco's Duo cloud technology to defend against password theft by using two-factor authentication. Duo enables one-tap identity confirmation with Apple iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. With Duo 2FA, whenever you sign into a protected application and enter your password you are asked to verify who you are via a device that only you possess and that uses a separate network channel. A wide range of devices can be used for this added means of authentication including a smartphone or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You may register multiple verification devices. For details about ProSight Duo two-factor identity authentication services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services.

• Progent's Outsourced/Shared Service Center: Call Center Managed Services
  Progent's Help Desk services permit your IT staff to outsource Support Desk services to Progent or split activity for Service Desk support seamlessly between your in-house support group and Progent's extensive pool of IT support engineers and subject matter experts (SMEs). Progent's Co-managed Help Desk Service offers a smooth supplement to your in-house support resources. User interaction with the Help Desk, delivery of support, problem escalation, ticket creation and updates, performance metrics, and management of the service database are cohesive whether incidents are resolved by your internal support resources, by Progent, or a mix of the two. Read more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Call Center services.

• Progent Active Defense Against Ransomware: Machine Learning-based Ransomware Identification and Remediation
  Progent's Active Defense Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that utilizes next generation behavior-based machine learning tools to defend endpoint devices and servers and VMs against new malware assaults like ransomware and email phishing, which easily evade legacy signature-matching anti-virus tools. Progent ASM services safeguard on-premises and cloud resources and offers a single platform to address the entire threat lifecycle including blocking, infiltration detection, containment, cleanup, and post-attack forensics. Top capabilities include one-click rollback using Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Find out 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 allows you to create, maintain, find and safeguard data related to your network infrastructure, processes, applications, and services. You can quickly locate passwords or serial numbers and be warned automatically about impending expirations of SSLs ,domains or warranties. By updating and managing your IT documentation, you can eliminate up to half of time spent looking for critical information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management includes a common location for storing and sharing all documents required for managing your network infrastructure such as recommended procedures and How-To's. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers advanced automation for collecting and associating IT information. Whether you're planning enhancements, performing regular maintenance, or responding to an emergency, ProSight IT Asset Management delivers the data you need when you need it. Learn more about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Patch Management: Patch Management Services
  Progent's support services for software and firmware patch management provide organizations of all sizes a flexible and cost-effective alternative for evaluating, validating, scheduling, implementing, and documenting updates to your dynamic IT system. Besides maximizing the security and reliability of your computer network, Progent's patch management services free up time for your IT team to concentrate on more strategic initiatives and activities that derive the highest business value from your information network. Learn 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 organization can have its key servers and apps hosted in a protected Tier III data center on a fast virtual machine host set up and maintained by Progent's IT support professionals. With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the customer owns the data, the OS platforms, and the apps. Because the environment is virtualized, it can be moved easily to an alternate hardware environment without a time-consuming and technically risky configuration procedure. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, you are not tied 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 is an endpoint protection (EPP) service that incorporates SentinelOne's cutting edge behavior-based analysis tools to guard physical and virtual endpoint devices against modern malware assaults like ransomware and file-less exploits, which easily get by traditional signature-matching anti-virus tools. ProSight Active Security Monitoring safeguards on-premises and cloud resources and offers a single platform to address the entire threat progression including protection, detection, containment, remediation, and forensics. Key features include single-click rollback using Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service and real-time network-wide immunization against newly discovered threats. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection: Physical and Virtual Endpoint Security and Microsoft Exchange Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) services deliver economical multi-layer security for physical servers and VMs, workstations, smartphones, and Microsoft Exchange. ProSight ESP uses contextual security and advanced machine learning for round-the-clock monitoring and responding to security threats from all vectors. ProSight ESP delivers two-way firewall protection, penetration alarms, endpoint control, and web filtering through cutting-edge tools incorporated within a single agent managed from a unified control. Progent's data protection and virtualization experts can assist your business to plan and implement a ProSight ESP environment that meets your organization's specific requirements and that allows you achieve and demonstrate compliance with legal and industry information protection regulations. Progent will help you define and configure security policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your network and respond to alerts that call for urgent attention. Progent can also assist you to install and test a backup and disaster recovery system such as ProSight Data Protection Services so you can recover rapidly from a potentially disastrous cyber attack such as ransomware. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) unified physical and virtual endpoint security and Microsoft Exchange email filtering.