24-Hour Vancouver Urgent CryptoLocker
Malware Detection and Removal Experts

Crypto-Ransomware : Your Worst Information Technology Nightmare
Crypto-Ransomware has become a too-frequent cyberplague that presents an existential threat for businesses of all sizes vulnerable to an assault. Multiple generations of ransomware such as Dharma, CryptoWall, Locky, SamSam and MongoLock cryptoworms have been circulating for a long time and still inflict havoc. More recent variants of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, Netwalker, Conti or Nephilim, plus frequent as yet unnamed newcomers, not only do encryption of on-line data files but also infiltrate any available system protection. Data synched to cloud environments can also be held hostage. In a poorly designed data protection solution, it can render automatic restore operations impossible and basically sets the datacenter back to zero.

Retrieving services and information after a crypto-ransomware attack becomes a race against the clock as the targeted business struggles to stop lateral movement, remove the crypto-ransomware, and resume business-critical activity. Since ransomware needs time to move laterally, assaults are usually sprung during weekends and nights, when successful penetrations tend to take more time to detect. This multiplies the difficulty of quickly mobilizing and orchestrating a qualified response team.

Progent makes available a variety of services for protecting businesses from ransomware penetrations. These include user education to become familiar with and not fall victim to phishing attempts, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, in addition to deployment of the latest generation security solutions with artificial intelligence capabilities from SentinelOne to detect and suppress new cyber threats automatically. Progent in addition can provide the assistance of expert ransomware recovery consultants with the talent and perseverance to re-deploy a breached system as soon as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Recovery Support Services
After a ransomware penetration, sending the ransom in cryptocurrency does not ensure that cyber hackers will provide the keys to decipher any of your files. Kaspersky ascertained that 17% of crypto-ransomware victims never recovered their files even after having sent off the ransom, resulting in more losses. The risk is also expensive. Ryuk ransoms are often a few hundred thousand dollars. For larger organizations, the ransom can be in the millions. The alternative is to piece back together the essential parts of your IT environment. Absent access to essential information backups, this requires a broad complement of IT skills, well-coordinated team management, and the ability to work continuously until the job is completed.

For decades, Progent has provided professional IT services for companies across the United States and has earned Microsoft's Partnership certification status in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's group of subject matter experts includes consultants who have attained top certifications in foundation technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and popular distributions of Linux. Progent's cybersecurity experts have garnered internationally-renowned industry certifications including CISA, CISSP-ISSAP, ISACA CRISC, GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (See Progent's certifications). Progent also has experience with financial management and ERP software solutions. This breadth of experience gives Progent the ability to efficiently understand necessary systems and organize the surviving pieces of your computer network system following a crypto-ransomware event and rebuild them into a functioning network.

Progent's ransomware group deploys best of breed project management tools to orchestrate the complex recovery process. Progent understands the urgency of working quickly and in concert with a client's management and Information Technology resources to assign priority to tasks and to get the most important systems back on-line as fast as humanly possible.

Client Story: A Successful Ransomware Intrusion Recovery
A customer engaged Progent after their organization was attacked by Ryuk ransomware. Ryuk is believed to have been developed by North Korean government sponsored hackers, possibly using approaches leaked from the United States National Security Agency. Ryuk targets specific companies with little tolerance for operational disruption and is one of the most profitable versions of crypto-ransomware. Well Known organizations include Data Resolution, a California-based info warehousing and cloud computing business, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's customer is a regional manufacturer located in Chicago and has around 500 workers. The Ryuk attack had frozen all essential operations and manufacturing capabilities. The majority of the client's data protection had been online at the time of the attack and were damaged. The client was taking steps for paying the ransom demand (exceeding $200K) and wishfully thinking for the best, but in the end made the decision to use Progent.

Progent worked together with the client to rapidly assess and assign priority to the critical applications that had to be restored in order to resume company functions:

• Active Directory
• Exchange Server
• MRP System

Within 2 days, Progent was able to recover Active Directory services to its pre-virus state. Progent then assisted with setup and storage recovery of the most important systems. All Microsoft Exchange Server ties and attributes were usable, which greatly helped the restore of Exchange. Progent was able to find local OST files (Outlook Email Off-Line Data Files) on user workstations in order to recover mail messages. A not too old off-line backup of the client's accounting/MRP systems made it possible to restore these vital programs back available to users. Although a lot of work needed to be completed to recover fully from the Ryuk event, critical services were returned to operations rapidly:

Throughout the next few weeks key milestones in the restoration process were achieved in tight cooperation between Progent consultants and the client:

• Self-hosted web applications were brought back up with no loss of data.
• The MailStore Exchange Server containing more than four million archived messages was restored to operations and available for users.
• CRM/Orders/Invoices/Accounts Payable (AP)/AR/Inventory modules were completely operational.
• A new Palo Alto Networks 850 security appliance was installed.
• Ninety percent of the desktops and laptops were back into operation.

Conclusion
A possible enterprise-killing catastrophe was averted due to dedicated experts, a wide array of technical expertise, and close teamwork. Although in retrospect the ransomware virus penetration described here would have been identified and blocked with current cyber security solutions and ISO/IEC 27001 best practices, team training, and well designed incident response procedures for data backup and applying software patches, the fact is that government-sponsored hackers from Russia, China and elsewhere are relentless and are not going away. If you do fall victim to a ransomware incursion, remember that Progent's team of experts has extensive experience in ransomware virus blocking, mitigation, and information systems disaster recovery.

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

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent can provide companies in Vancouver a variety of online monitoring and security assessment services to help you to minimize the threat from ransomware. These services include modern AI technology to detect new strains of crypto-ransomware that are able to get past legacy signature-based anti-virus products.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop monitoring service that uses advanced remote monitoring and management (RMM) techniques to keep your IT system running at peak levels by tracking the state of vital assets that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch detects an issue, an alarm is sent automatically to your specified IT management personnel and your assigned Progent engineering consultant so all looming problems 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 Desktops
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software offers a unified, cloud-driven solution for managing your client-server infrastructure by providing an environment for streamlining common tedious tasks. These include health checking, patch management, automated repairs, endpoint setup, backup and recovery, anti-virus protection, secure remote access, built-in and custom scripts, resource inventory, endpoint profile reporting, and troubleshooting assistance. When ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM uncovers a serious problem, it sends an alert to your designated IT management personnel and your assigned Progent consultant so emerging issues can be taken care of before they impact productivity. Learn more about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop remote monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure monitoring and management service that makes it easy and inexpensive for smaller businesses to diagram, monitor, enhance and troubleshoot their connectivity appliances like routers, firewalls, and wireless controllers as well as servers, printers, endpoints and other devices. Incorporating state-of-the-art RMM technology, WAN Watch ensures that infrastructure topology diagrams are kept updated, captures and displays the configuration information of almost all devices on your network, monitors performance, and generates alerts when problems are detected. By automating time-consuming network management processes, WAN Watch can cut hours off ordinary chores such as network mapping, reconfiguring your network, locating appliances that need critical software patches, or identifying the cause of performance bottlenecks. Find out more about ProSight WAN Watch infrastructure monitoring and management consulting.

• ProSight Reporting: In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Applications
  ProSight Reporting is a growing family of real-time and in-depth reporting plug-ins created to integrate with the industry's top ticketing and remote network monitoring applications including ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting incorporates Microsoft Graph and features color coding to surface and contextualize key issues such as inconsistent support follow-up or endpoints with missing patches. By identifying ticketing or network health problems concisely and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting enhances network value, reduces management hassle, and saves money. For more information, see ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring platforms.

• ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS): Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has worked with leading backup/restore software companies to produce ProSight Data Protection Services, a selection of management outsourcing plans that deliver backup-as-a-service (BaaS). ProSight DPS services automate and track your backup processes and allow transparent backup and fast recovery of vital files, apps, system images, plus VMs. ProSight DPS helps you avoid data loss caused by equipment breakdown, natural disasters, fire, malware like ransomware, human mistakes, malicious employees, or application glitches. Managed services in the ProSight Data Protection Services portfolio include ProSight Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight DPS ECHO Backup based on Barracuda purpose-built hardware, and ProSight DPS MSP360 Cloud and On-prem Backup. Your Progent service representative can help you to identify which of these managed services are most appropriate for your IT environment.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam and virus filtering service that incorporates the infrastructure of leading information security companies to deliver centralized management and comprehensive protection for your email traffic. The powerful structure of Progent's Email Guard combines cloud-based filtering with an on-premises security gateway device to offer complete defense against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, DHAs, and other email-based threats. Email Guard's cloud filter acts as a preliminary barricade and blocks most unwanted email from making it to your network firewall. This decreases your exposure to inbound threats and conserves system bandwidth and storage. Email Guard's on-premises security gateway device provides a deeper layer of inspection for inbound email. For outbound email, the on-premises security gateway offers anti-virus and anti-spam filtering, protection against data leaks, and email encryption. The onsite security gateway can also help Exchange Server to track and protect internal email that stays inside your security perimeter. For more details, see Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight Duo Two-Factor Authentication: ID Confirmation, Endpoint Policy Enforcement, and Protected Single Sign-on (SSO)
  Progent's Duo MFA service plans utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to defend against password theft by using two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo supports single-tap identity verification with iOS, Android, and other personal devices. With 2FA, when you sign into a secured online account and give your password you are asked to confirm who you are on a unit that only you have and that uses a separate network channel. A broad range of out-of-band devices can be used for this added form of authentication such as an iPhone or Android or watch, a hardware token, a landline telephone, etc. You may designate multiple validation devices. For more information about ProSight Duo two-factor identity authentication services, see Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for access security.

• Progent's Outsourced/Shared Help Center: Support Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Call Desk managed services enable your information technology team to outsource Support Desk services to Progent or divide activity for Service Desk support seamlessly between your in-house support team and Progent's extensive pool of IT service engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Co-managed Service Desk provides a seamless extension of your internal support group. Client access to the Help Desk, delivery of support, problem escalation, trouble ticket creation and updates, performance measurement, and maintenance of the support database are cohesive whether incidents are taken care of by your in-house IT support organization, by Progent, or by a combination. Learn more about Progent's outsourced/co-managed Service Desk services.

• Progent Active Protection Against Ransomware: AI-based Ransomware Identification and Remediation
  Progent's Active Defense Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) solution that utilizes next generation behavior analysis tools to defend endpoint devices and servers and VMs against modern malware assaults such as ransomware and file-less exploits, which easily escape traditional signature-based AV tools. Progent Active Security Monitoring services protect on-premises and cloud-based resources and provides a single platform to manage the entire threat progression including blocking, infiltration detection, mitigation, cleanup, and forensics. Key capabilities include one-click rollback with Windows VSS and real-time network-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Read more about Progent's ransomware defense and recovery services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation Management
  ProSight IT Asset Management service is a cloud-based IT documentation management service that allows you to capture, update, find and protect information related to your IT infrastructure, processes, applications, and services. You can instantly locate passwords or IP addresses and be alerted automatically about impending expirations of SSL certificates or domains. By updating and managing your network documentation, you can save up to half of time wasted trying to find vital information about your network. ProSight IT Asset Management includes a common repository for storing and sharing all documents required for managing your network infrastructure like standard operating procedures (SOPs) and self-service instructions. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers a high level of automation for gathering and associating IT information. Whether you're making enhancements, doing maintenance, or responding to an emergency, ProSight IT Asset Management delivers the data you need when you need it. Read more about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Progent's Patch Management: Patch Management Services
  Progent's support services for software and firmware patch management offer organizations of any size a versatile and affordable alternative for evaluating, validating, scheduling, applying, and tracking software and firmware updates to your dynamic IT system. In addition to maximizing the protection and functionality of your IT environment, Progent's patch management services allow your in-house IT team to focus on more strategic initiatives and activities that derive maximum business value from your information network. Read more about Progent's software/firmware update management services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted VMs at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small business can have its key servers and applications hosted in a secure fault tolerant data center on a high-performance virtual host set up and managed by Progent's network support professionals. With the ProSight Virtual Hosting model, the client retains ownership of the data, the operating system platforms, and the applications. Because the system is virtualized, it can be ported immediately to a different hardware solution without a time-consuming and technically risky configuration process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, your business is not locked into one hosting service. Learn more details about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) is an endpoint protection solution that utilizes SentinelOne's next generation behavior machine learning tools to guard physical and virtual endpoints against new malware attacks like ransomware and email phishing, which routinely evade traditional signature-based anti-virus products. ProSight Active Security Monitoring protects on-premises and cloud resources and provides a unified platform to address the complete threat lifecycle including blocking, infiltration detection, mitigation, cleanup, and forensics. Top features include one-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and real-time system-wide immunization against new threats. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, reseller, and integrator. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Endpoint Protection and Exchange Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection services offer ultra-affordable multi-layer security for physical and virtual servers, desktops, mobile devices, and Exchange email. ProSight ESP uses contextual security and modern behavior analysis for round-the-clock monitoring and reacting to cyber threats from all vectors. ProSight ESP delivers firewall protection, intrusion alarms, endpoint management, and web filtering via leading-edge technologies incorporated within a single agent managed from a single console. Progent's data protection and virtualization consultants can assist your business to plan and implement a ProSight ESP deployment that meets your organization's unique needs and that allows you demonstrate compliance with legal and industry information protection regulations. Progent will assist you specify and configure security policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your network and respond to alarms that call for urgent attention. Progent's consultants can also help you to install and verify a backup and restore system such as ProSight Data Protection Services so you can get back in business rapidly from a destructive cyber attack such as ransomware. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified endpoint security and Microsoft Exchange email filtering.