Hayward Ransomware Filtering and Recovery Consulting

Ransomware has been weaponized by the major cyber-crime organizations and rogue governments, posing a potentially lethal risk to companies that are victimized. The latest versions of crypto-ransomware target everything, including online backup, making even partial recovery a long and expensive process. Novel versions of crypto-ransomware such as Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, DopplePaymer, LockBit and Egregor have emerged, replacing WannaCry, Cerber, and NotPetya in notoriety, sophistication, and destructiveness.

Most ransomware infections are the result of innocent-looking emails that have dangerous hyperlinks or attachments, and a high percentage are so-called "zero-day" strains that can escape the defenses of legacy signature-based antivirus (AV) tools. Although user education and up-front detection are important to defend your network against ransomware, leading practices dictate that you assume some malware will eventually succeed and that you implement a solid backup solution that allows you to recover rapidly with little if any losses.

Progent's ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Assessment is an ultra-affordable service built around a remote discussion with a Progent security consultant skilled in ransomware protection and recovery. In the course of this interview Progent will collaborate directly with your Hayward network managers to collect pertinent data concerning your security posture and backup processes. Progent will use this information to generate a Basic Security and Best Practices Report documenting how to adhere to best practices for configuring and managing your security and backup solution to block or recover from a ransomware assault.

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

Security

• Proper use of admin accounts
• Appropriate NTFS (New Technology File System) and SMB authorizations
• Optimal firewall settings
• Safe RDP connections
• Guidance for AntiVirus tools selection and configuration

• Split permission architecture for backup integrity
• Backing up key servers such as Active Directory
• Offsite backups with cloud backup to Azure

About Ransomware
Ransomware is a variety of malware that encrypts or deletes a victim's files so they are unusable or are publicized. Crypto-ransomware often locks the target's computer. To avoid the damage, the target is required to send a specified amount of money, typically in the form of a crypto currency such as Bitcoin, within a short period of time. It is never certain that paying the extortion price will recover the lost data or prevent its publication. Files can be altered or deleted across a network depending on the target's write permissions, and you cannot solve the strong encryption algorithms used on the hostage files. A typical ransomware attack vector is spoofed email, in which the victim is tricked into interacting with by a social engineering technique called spear phishing. This makes the email message to appear to come from a trusted sender. Another popular attack vector is a poorly protected Remote Desktop Protocol port.

The ransomware variant CryptoLocker ushered in the modern era of crypto-ransomware in 2013, and the damage caused by the many strains of ransomware is estimated at billions of dollars annually, roughly doubling every other year. Notorious examples include WannaCry, and NotPetya. Current headline variants like Ryuk, Sodinokibi and Spora are more sophisticated and have wreaked more damage than older strains. Even if your backup/recovery processes enable you to recover your ransomed files, you can still be hurt by so-called exfiltration, where stolen data are exposed to the public. Because new versions of ransomware crop up daily, there is no guarantee that conventional signature-based anti-virus tools will detect a new malware. If an attack does appear in an email, it is critical that your users have been taught to identify phishing techniques. Your ultimate protection is a sound process for scheduling and keeping offsite backups plus the deployment of reliable recovery platforms.

Ask Progent About the ProSight Ransomware Susceptibility Testing in Hayward
For pricing details and to learn more about how Progent's ProSight Ransomware Vulnerability Evaluation can bolster your protection against ransomware in Hayward, phone Progent at 800-462-8800 or visit Contact Progent.