Ransomware Investigation

Ransomware Investigation

It’s one of the most prevalent cyber security threats in the world, making headlines daily: crippling ransomware attacks. Ransomware attacks are used by independent hacking cells, professional crime syndicates, ex-employees, and so-called hacktivists to extort money from individuals and organizations while crippling your ability to access your files, your client database, R&D research, your own intellectual property, your website, and even basic email. Cyber security firm Cypfer is uniquely qualified to help both individuals and businesses deal with ransomware attacks across Canada, from Halifax, to Ottawa, to Toronto, to Winnipeg, to Calgary, and Vancouver – and all points in between.

“While the news media publishes that most ransomware attacks cost only a few hundred dollars, on a weekly basis Cypfer negotiates on behalf of clients where ransomware demands for payments are between $20,000 and $150,000 in Bitcoin.
Ransomware is serious business. Don’t leave ransomware negotiations to amateurs or well- meaning techies. And ransomware is definitely not a D-I-Y project.”
Ed Dubrovsky, Managing Director, Cyber Breach Response

Essentially, ransomware takes your data hostage and hackers will extort a ransom for the release of your data. Why do cybercriminals want your data? Data is the new “gold.” Here are just some of the things that typically happen during a ransomware attack:

Mission-critical systems are disabled, principally operations and payment systems

Personal, identifiable information has been potentially exfiltrated (this is useful to cybercriminals for identity theft later)

End-of-life systems are unrecoverable

Your back-ups are encrypted as well

Intellectual property is captured and released to the Dark Web, to be sold to the highest bidder

These are some of the situations that Cypfer’s ransomware removal team faces each week, supporting individuals, small business and enterprise-organizations in the safe resolution of their ransomware attacks.

Make no mistake: a ransomware attack affects your operational capacity, your financial position, your stock price if your company is publicly traded; your compliance with regulators and with privacy laws; as well as your overall reputation with customers, suppliers, and employees through the media and resulting negative publicity. The effects of a ransomware attack can be very long-lasting indeed.

Worst of all, there is no guarantee that even if the ransom is paid, that your data access will be fully restored. It may only be partially restored. Or, that the cybercrooks did not make copies of your data, for nefarious purposes later. Like the saying goes, “There is no honour among thieves.”

Our goal at Cypfer is to help you recover from ransomware attack and return to day-to-day activities in the shortest amount of time, in a confident, precise, and cost-effective manner. We developed our Ransomware Support Practice to resolve current hostage attacks and then empower the organization with guided changes to help with future ransomware attacks prevention:

  • We have reduced the cost of ransomware attacks through expert negotiation.
  • We have helped with decryption of systems without any payment to the attacker.
  • We have detected and contained on-going attacks during ransomware negotiations.
  • We manage the entire ransomware attack, using our knowledge, expertise and influence.

You get our extensive experience in ransomware removal, compromise assessments, digital forensics, breach investigation and cyber security consulting to solve your ransomware incident in a professional manner that reduces the anxiety over a ransomware attack.

Our focus is on the delivery of informative and actionable cyber security consulting that allows your organization to meet its enterprise transformation goals.