Banking Institution: $3M Ransomware + Full Vulnerability Assessment
A ~3,000-employee banking institution was hit by ransomware that exploited vulnerabilities in their PCI environment, resulting in a $3M ransom demand. Proven Data negotiated a 56% reduction and conducted a comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment to identify, prioritize, and remediate the security gaps that enabled the attack.
The Challenge
Attackers exploited undetected vulnerabilities in the bank's PCI environment to gain access, encrypt critical data, and demand $3,000,000. Beyond ransom resolution, the bank needed a rigorous Vulnerability Assessment to understand and remediate the security gaps — both to satisfy regulators and to prevent recurrence.
How We Responded
- 1Ransom Negotiation
Proven Data engaged the attackers and negotiated the $3,000,000 demand down by 56% before any payment was made.
- 2Automated Vulnerability Scanning
All systems were scanned to identify potential vulnerabilities, with results analyzed for exploitability and potential business impact.
- 3Vulnerability Classification
Each finding was categorized by severity, ease of exploitation, and potential impact on PCI compliance and operations.
- 4Risk Assessment
A formal risk assessment quantified the potential harm from each vulnerability and provided the foundation for prioritization.
- 5Mitigation Strategy & Implementation
Targeted remediation strategies were developed for each risk category and implemented in priority order, starting with the highest-severity findings.
Outcomes
- 56% ransom reduction
- Complete data decryption and recovery
- Full Vulnerability Assessment completed
- PCI environment security gaps identified and remediated
- Regulatory-ready documentation delivered
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