Global consulting firm Protiviti has launched an enhanced ransomware offering within the firm’s broader cybersecurity and privacy practice to help companies manage the rising threat levels to their business from malicious actors attacking and disrupting mission-critical operations. The newly expanded and specialized Ransomware Advisory and Recovery offering is designed to help organizations manage the short-term crisis of a devastating ransomware attack and get back to business and to build toward long-term resilience.
In the U.S., the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported there were more than 2,400 ransomware attacks in 2020, an increase of over 20% from the previous year. This year has already seen a series of high-profile ransomware incidents affecting vital infrastructure. The enhanced Protiviti offering comes as cyber criminals increasingly perpetrate ransomware attacks on vulnerable enterprises with weak security infrastructure and controls, often to secure financial gain by holding companies’ operations hostage, usually for cryptocurrency.
“With ransomware, attacks have evolved from fringe data thieves to more sophisticated business disruptors. And when operations grind to a halt, legal disputes, regulatory demands and expenses multiply,” said Terry Jost, global leader of Protiviti’s Security and Privacy practice. “While we’ve been advising boards and executives on cybersecurity for many years, including ransomware attacks, this newly enhanced practice will serve as a focused nerve center for Protiviti clients aiming to strengthen their defenses against a variety of ransomware threats.”
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Three Phase Approach
Protiviti’s expert cross-solution teams providing the Ransomware Advisory and Recovery offering can help clients strengthen their ransomware resilience and broader cybersecurity posture across their business via three key phases:
- Anticipate: Forecast, understand and counter threats with an active defense
- Respond: Manage the crisis once a ransomware attack is underway, engaging executive, legal and technical stakeholders while managing business requirements
- Recover: Post-attack, ensure operations are restored, reinforce security systems and re-build organizational resilience
“As operational resiliency continues to be a high priority for boards and c-suite executives, strong crisis management plans and up-to-date data protection are critical not only to sustain daily operations, but also to improve efficiency and recovery time and, ultimately, progress toward becoming a more secure organization,” stated Jost.
Organizing Data is Critically Important
Data is typically among the most strategic assets for any organization. “Currently, many companies operate with highly fragmented data and information, often unstructured. Complicating these situations are the changing employee expectations around hybrid work environments and data access needs. These realities require a solid, predictable mapping of all organizational data, no matter where it resides, and our team can help them with that,” added Jost.
For nearly two decades, Protiviti has advised and supported businesses and global organizations to assess their cybersecurity readiness, prepare for threats, ensure their data is protected, and respond and recover from attacks when they occur—including ransomware attacks. Protiviti’s Ransomware Advisory and Recovery offering mobilizes a deep bench of experienced cybersecurity and data privacy experts. For more information about the enhanced offering or to schedule a consultation with a Protiviti cybersecurity expert
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