24-Hour Newark Critical Crypto-Ransomware
Computer Virus Detection and Repair Consultants

Ransomware : Your Worst Information Technology Catastrophe
Crypto-Ransomware has become a too-frequent cyber pandemic that poses an enterprise-level threat for businesses poorly prepared for an assault. Multiple generations of ransomware such as CryptoLocker, Fusob, Locky, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been running rampant for many years and continue to cause destruction. More recent variants of crypto-ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Snatch or Egregor, plus more as yet unnamed newcomers, not only encrypt online data but also infiltrate most accessible system backups. Files synchronized to off-site disaster recovery sites can also be encrypted. In a poorly designed system, this can make automatic recovery hopeless and effectively knocks the entire system back to zero.

Restoring services and data after a ransomware intrusion becomes a race against time as the targeted organization fights to stop lateral movement, cleanup the ransomware, and resume mission-critical activity. Due to the fact that crypto-ransomware requires time to replicate, assaults are often launched on weekends and holidays, when penetrations are likely to take more time to discover. This compounds the difficulty of quickly marshalling and coordinating a qualified response team.

Progent provides an assortment of solutions for securing businesses from ransomware attacks. These include user education to help identify and not fall victim to phishing scams, ProSight Active Security Monitoring for remote monitoring and management, along with setup and configuration of the latest generation security appliances with artificial intelligence technology from SentinelOne to identify and extinguish new cyber attacks quickly. Progent in addition provides the assistance of seasoned ransomware recovery professionals with the talent and commitment to rebuild a breached environment as urgently as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Recovery Services
Subsequent to a ransomware attack, paying the ransom demands in cryptocurrency does not guarantee that cyber hackers will return the codes to unencrypt any or all of your information. Kaspersky determined that 17% of ransomware victims never recovered their information after having sent off the ransom, resulting in additional losses. The gamble is also very costly. Ryuk ransoms are commonly a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom demand can be in the millions of dollars. The other path is to re-install the vital elements of your Information Technology environment. Absent the availability of essential data backups, this calls for a wide range of skills, well-coordinated project management, and the willingness to work continuously until the recovery project is complete.

For two decades, Progent has provided certified expert IT services for companies throughout the US and has earned Microsoft's Partnership certification status in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's group of subject matter experts includes engineers who have attained top industry certifications in foundation technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and major distributions of Linux. Progent's cyber security consultants have earned internationally-renowned certifications including CISA, CISSP-ISSAP, CRISC, GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (See Progent's certifications). Progent also has expertise in financial systems and ERP application software. This breadth of expertise provides Progent the skills to rapidly identify critical systems and organize the remaining parts of your Information Technology environment following a ransomware attack and configure them into a functioning system.

Progent's ransomware group has state-of-the-art project management tools to coordinate the complicated recovery process. Progent knows the importance of acting rapidly and together with a customer's management and IT resources to prioritize tasks and to put essential applications back on-line as soon as possible.

Customer Story: A Successful Ransomware Incident Recovery
A client sought out Progent after their network was brought down by Ryuk crypto-ransomware. Ryuk is believed to have been launched by Northern Korean state cybercriminals, possibly using approaches leaked from America's National Security Agency. Ryuk attacks specific organizations with little or no ability to sustain disruption and is among the most profitable versions of ransomware malware. Major organizations include Data Resolution, a California-based info warehousing and cloud computing firm, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's client is a small manufacturer located in the Chicago metro area with around 500 workers. The Ryuk penetration had brought down all business operations and manufacturing capabilities. Most of the client's backups had been online at the beginning of the attack and were damaged. The client was actively seeking loans for paying the ransom (more than $200K) and hoping for good luck, but ultimately brought in Progent.

Progent worked together with the customer to quickly assess and assign priority to the key systems that had to be restored in order to continue business functions:

• Active Directory
• Email
• Accounting/MRP

Within 48 hours, Progent was able to re-build Active Directory to its pre-virus state. Progent then completed rebuilding and hard drive recovery on the most important systems. All Exchange Server schema and configuration information were usable, which accelerated the restore of Exchange. Progent was able to assemble local OST files (Outlook Offline Data Files) on user desktop computers and laptops to recover mail information. A recent off-line backup of the businesses accounting systems made them able to restore these essential services back available to users. Although significant work remained to recover completely from the Ryuk event, essential services were restored quickly:

During the following few weeks critical milestones in the restoration process were accomplished in close collaboration between Progent consultants and the client:

• In-house web sites were restored with no loss of data.
• The MailStore Microsoft Exchange Server containing more than four million archived emails was restored to operations and available for users.
• CRM/Customer Orders/Invoices/AP/Accounts Receivables (AR)/Inventory functions were fully recovered.
• A new Palo Alto 850 security appliance was deployed.
• Most of the user workstations were back into operation.

Conclusion
A probable company-ending disaster was averted due to hard-working professionals, a wide array of subject matter expertise, and close teamwork. Although in analyzing the event afterwards the ransomware penetration detailed here should have been identified and stopped with modern cyber security technology and recognized best practices, staff training, and properly executed security procedures for information backup and proper patching controls, the fact remains that state-sponsored criminal cyber gangs from Russia, North Korea and elsewhere are relentless and will continue. If you do get hit by a crypto-ransomware penetration, feel confident that Progent's team of professionals has proven experience in ransomware virus defense, remediation, and information systems disaster recovery.

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

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent offers businesses in Newark a range of remote monitoring and security evaluation services designed to help you to minimize the threat from crypto-ransomware. These services include next-generation machine learning capability to uncover zero-day strains of ransomware that are able to evade traditional signature-based anti-virus solutions.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Monitoring
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop remote monitoring managed service that incorporates advanced remote monitoring and management (RMM) techniques to keep your IT system running at peak levels by tracking the health of vital assets that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers a problem, an alert is sent immediately to your specified IT staff and your Progent engineering consultant so any looming issues can be resolved before they have a chance to disrupt productivity. Learn more details about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop remote monitoring services.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Unified RMM Solution for Networks, Servers, and Workstations
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software delivers a centralized, cloud-based platform for managing your network, server, and desktop devices by offering tools for performing common time-consuming tasks. These include health monitoring, update management, automated repairs, endpoint configuration, backup and restore, A/V response, secure remote access, built-in and custom scripts, resource inventory, endpoint status reporting, and debugging support. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM uncovers a serious incident, it sends an alert to your designated IT staff and your assigned Progent technical consultant so that emerging problems can be fixed before they interfere with productivity. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight WAN Watch is an infrastructure monitoring and management service that makes it simple and affordable for small and mid-sized businesses to map out, track, optimize and debug their connectivity appliances like routers and switches, firewalls, and wireless controllers as well as servers, endpoints and other networked devices. Using cutting-edge Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, ProSight WAN Watch makes sure that network diagrams are kept updated, copies and displays the configuration information of virtually all devices on your network, tracks performance, and generates notices when issues are detected. By automating time-consuming management processes, ProSight WAN Watch can knock hours off common tasks like making network diagrams, expanding your network, locating appliances that need important updates, or resolving performance issues. Learn more about ProSight WAN Watch infrastructure management services.

• ProSight Reporting: Real-time Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Platforms
  ProSight Reporting is a growing line of real-time and in-depth management reporting tools created to work with the industry's leading ticketing and remote network monitoring programs such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and utilizes color coding to highlight and contextualize key issues like inconsistent support follow-up or endpoints with out-of-date AVs. By identifying ticketing or network health concerns concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves network value, lowers management hassle, and saves money. For details, visit ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring platforms.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has worked with advanced backup/restore software companies to produce ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a portfolio of management offerings that deliver backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS services automate and track your backup processes and enable non-disruptive backup and rapid recovery of important files/folders, applications, images, and VMs. ProSight DPS helps you avoid data loss caused by equipment breakdown, natural disasters, fire, cyber attacks like ransomware, human error, malicious insiders, or software glitches. Managed backup services in the ProSight Data Protection Services portfolio include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight DPS ECHO Backup using Barracuda dedicated storage, and ProSight MSP360 Cloud and On-prem Backup. Your Progent expert can help you to identify which of these fully managed backup services are best suited for your network.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam filtering and email encryption service that uses the infrastructure of top data security companies to provide web-based management and comprehensive security for all your email traffic. The hybrid structure of Progent's Email Guard managed service integrates a Cloud Protection Layer with an on-premises security gateway appliance to provide advanced protection against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-borne threats. Email Guard's cloud filter acts as a first line of defense and blocks most unwanted email from reaching your security perimeter. This reduces your exposure to external attacks and saves network bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's on-premises security gateway appliance adds a further layer of analysis for inbound email. For outbound email, the onsite security gateway provides AV and anti-spam filtering, protection against data leaks, and email encryption. The onsite security gateway can also assist Microsoft Exchange Server to monitor and protect internal email traffic that stays within your corporate firewall. For more information, visit Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight Duo Multi-Factor Authentication: Access Security, Endpoint Remediation, and Protected Single Sign-on
  Progent's Duo authentication services utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against stolen passwords by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo enables one-tap identity confirmation on iOS, Google Android, and other personal devices. Using 2FA, when you log into a secured online account and give your password you are requested to verify who you are on a unit that only you have and that uses a different network channel. A wide range of out-of-band devices can be utilized for this added form of authentication such as a smartphone or wearable, a hardware token, a landline phone, etc. You can register several validation devices. For more information about ProSight Duo two-factor identity validation services, see Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for access security.

• Outsourced/Co-managed Service Desk: Help Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Call Center services allow your IT team to outsource Call Center services to Progent or split activity for Service Desk support seamlessly between your internal network support resources and Progent's extensive pool of IT service technicians, engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Shared Help Desk Service provides a transparent supplement to your internal support staff. Client access to the Help Desk, delivery of support, escalation, trouble ticket creation and tracking, performance metrics, and maintenance of the support database are cohesive regardless of whether issues are taken care of by your internal support group, by Progent, or both. Find out more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Call Center services.

• Progent Active Defense Against Ransomware: AI-based Ransomware Identification and Cleanup
  Progent's Active Protection Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection managed service that utilizes cutting edge behavior-based analysis technology to guard endpoints and servers and VMs against new malware assaults like ransomware and email phishing, which routinely escape traditional signature-based AV tools. Progent ASM services safeguard local and cloud resources and offers a unified platform to automate the entire malware attack lifecycle including blocking, infiltration detection, containment, remediation, and forensics. Top capabilities include single-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against newly discovered threats. Learn more about Progent's ransomware defense and recovery services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation Management
  ProSight IT Asset Management service is an IT infrastructure documentation management service that makes it easy to create, update, retrieve and safeguard information about your network infrastructure, procedures, applications, and services. You can quickly find passwords or IP addresses and be alerted automatically about upcoming expirations of SSL certificates or domains. By updating and organizing your IT infrastructure documentation, you can eliminate as much as 50% of time wasted looking for critical information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a centralized location for holding and collaborating on all documents related to managing your network infrastructure like recommended procedures and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers a high level of automation for gathering and relating IT data. Whether you're planning enhancements, doing maintenance, or reacting to a crisis, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the information you need as soon as you need it. Learn more about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Progent's Patch Management: Patch Management Services
  Progent's managed services for patch management provide organizations of all sizes a flexible and affordable solution for assessing, validating, scheduling, applying, and tracking software and firmware updates to your ever-evolving information system. In addition to maximizing the protection and functionality of your computer environment, Progent's software/firmware update management services free up time for your in-house IT team to focus on more strategic projects and activities that derive the highest business value from your 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 critical servers and applications hosted in a secure fault tolerant data center on a high-performance virtual machine host configured and maintained by Progent's network support experts. With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the customer retains ownership of the data, the OS platforms, and the apps. Because the environment is virtualized, it can be moved immediately to a different hardware solution without a lengthy and technically risky configuration process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, you are not tied one hosting service. Learn more 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 next generation behavior analysis technology to guard physical and virtual endpoint devices against new malware assaults such as ransomware and email phishing, which routinely get by legacy signature-matching anti-virus tools. ProSight ASM safeguards local and cloud-based resources and provides a unified platform to automate the entire malware attack progression including blocking, infiltration detection, containment, remediation, and post-attack forensics. Key features include single-click rollback using Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service and automatic system-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. Read more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Physical and Virtual Endpoint Security and Microsoft Exchange Filtering
  ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) managed services offer ultra-affordable multi-layer protection for physical servers and virtual machines, desktops, mobile devices, and Microsoft Exchange. ProSight ESP utilizes contextual security and modern behavior analysis for round-the-clock monitoring and responding to cyber assaults from all vectors. ProSight ESP delivers two-way firewall protection, penetration alarms, device management, and web filtering through cutting-edge tools incorporated within one agent managed from a unified control. Progent's data protection and virtualization consultants can assist your business to design and configure a ProSight ESP deployment that meets your organization's specific needs and that allows you demonstrate compliance with government and industry data protection regulations. Progent will help you define and configure policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your IT environment and react to alarms that require urgent attention. Progent can also assist you to install and verify a backup and disaster recovery system like ProSight Data Protection Services so you can get back in business quickly from a potentially disastrous cyber attack such as ransomware. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) unified endpoint protection and Exchange filtering.