Your files are encrypted.
Do not pay yet.
Ransomware stops your business cold. Every hour of downtime costs money. Every wrong move — rebooting infected systems, paying without investigation, wiping before forensics — makes recovery harder. We respond immediately, contain the spread, identify the entry point, and give you a clear path forward.
encrypted with AES-256
Your documents, databases, backups, and email archives have been encrypted. Your systems will remain inaccessible until a decryption key is purchased.
If ransomware is active right now
The next 30 minutes matter more than the next 30 days. Here is what to do, what not to do, and why calling first changes everything.
- Disconnect affected devices from the network immediately
- Do not turn devices off — leave them powered on
- Isolate shared drives and network storage
- Document what you are seeing with photos
- Identify which systems are affected and which are not
- Call us before doing anything else
- Do not reboot infected machines — it can destroy evidence
- Do not wipe or reimage before forensics are done
- Do not pay the ransom without investigation first
- Do not run antivirus scans that modify files
- Do not reconnect isolated systems until cleared
- Do not assume backups are clean without verification
- We identify the ransomware variant and assess decryptability
- We determine if exfiltration occurred before encryption
- We check whether the attacker is still active in your environment
- We verify backup integrity before you rely on them
- We advise on payment decision with full context
- We document everything for insurance and legal purposes
What happens when you call us.
Ransomware response is not just about decryption. It is about understanding exactly what happened, stopping what is still happening, and making sure your recovery does not reintroduce the same threat.
Initial Assessment and Triage
We identify the ransomware variant, determine the scope of encryption, assess whether the attacker is still active in your environment, and check whether data exfiltration occurred before the encryption payload was deployed. Many ransomware operators steal data first and encrypt second — paying the ransom does not undo the data theft.
Containment and Blast Radius Assessment
We contain the spread to prevent additional systems from being encrypted. We identify the initial entry point — whether it was a phishing email, an exposed RDP port, a compromised VPN credential, or a vulnerable application. We map which systems are affected and which are clean. We verify backup integrity before they are used for recovery.
Forensic Investigation
We reconstruct the attacker timeline from initial access through encryption deployment. We identify every system the attacker touched, every credential that may be compromised, and every persistence mechanism left behind. This matters for insurance claims, regulatory notification obligations, and ensuring the threat is fully eradicated before recovery begins.
Eradication and Recovery Guidance
We remove all attacker persistence mechanisms, clean or rebuild affected systems in the correct order, oversee credential rotation, and guide the recovery process to ensure clean systems are restored from verified backups. Recovery done wrong reintroduces the threat. We make sure it is done right.
Written Report and Hardening
Every engagement ends with a full written incident report covering the attack timeline, entry point, systems affected, actions taken, and specific hardening recommendations to prevent recurrence. This report supports cyber insurance claims, regulatory notifications, legal counsel, and leadership briefings.
Every stage of a ransomware incident.
Ransomware is not just an encryption problem. It is an identity problem, a network problem, a backup problem, and an insurance problem — all at once.
Ransomware Containment
Stop active encryption spread. Isolate compromised systems. Prevent lateral movement to clean endpoints, domain controllers, and backup infrastructure before more damage is done.
Entry Point Investigation
Identify exactly how the attacker got in — phishing, exposed RDP, compromised credentials, vulnerable VPN, or supply chain. Without knowing the entry point, recovery is not complete.
Data Exfiltration Assessment
Determine whether data was stolen before encryption. Many ransomware groups run double extortion — they threaten to publish your data if you do not pay. We identify what was taken and what was not.
Backup Verification
Verify that backups are clean and have not been compromised or encrypted. Attackers frequently target backup systems specifically to force payment. Do not restore from backups without verification.
Insurance Documentation
Prepare the forensic documentation that cyber insurance carriers require for claims. Proper documentation of the incident timeline, scope, and response actions directly affects claim outcomes.
Post-Recovery Hardening
Close the entry point, enforce MFA and Conditional Access, segment the network, and implement monitoring to detect recurrence. Firms hit by ransomware once are often targeted again within months.
Should you pay?
The answer depends on facts you do not have yet.
Before deciding whether to pay, you need to know: Is a free decryption tool available for this ransomware variant? Were backups compromised? Was data exfiltrated before encryption? Is the attacker still in your environment? What is the actual cost of downtime versus the ransom demand? Do you have regulatory notification obligations that paying does not eliminate?
Paying without answers to these questions is making a financial decision blind. Some ransomware variants have free decryptors. Some attackers take payment and disappear without providing a working key. Some provide a key but leave backdoors active. Some have already sold your data regardless of payment.
We do not tell you whether to pay. We give you the information you need to make the right decision for your organization — with full context, not panic.
Businesses where downtime is not an option.
Law Firms
Client files, trust accounts, litigation deadlines, bar notification obligations
Accounting Firms
Tax data, client financials, payroll systems, filing deadlines
Insurance
Claims systems, policyholder data, regulatory notification requirements
Professional Services
Client data, billing systems, communications infrastructure
Trusted by Firms That Cannot Afford to Get It Wrong.
Firms that handle client money, sensitive data, and high-stakes transactions.
We had a situation where a partner's email account was accessed without authorization over a weekend. Eric was reachable within the hour, walked us through exactly what happened, and had the account secured before Monday morning. For a firm handling active litigation, that kind of response time is not optional. It is essential.
We brought Eric in on a complex DFIR engagement involving potential data exfiltration across SharePoint and OneDrive. The scope was significant and the timeline was tight. He worked through the forensic investigation methodically, identified what had been accessed, and gave us a clear picture of exposure before we had to make any reporting decisions. Exactly the kind of professional you want when the stakes are high.
Ready to talk? Schedule a meeting now.
Whether you are dealing with an active incident or want to get ahead of the next one, book directly with a security engineer. No sales team, no runaround.
Schedule a Meeting Now