A prominent hotel group with over 30 locations experienced a severe BlackCat ransomware attack, bringing operations to a standstill. More than 650 employees were partially unable to perform their duties, and the ability to quickly recover from backups was not feasible. Additionally, there were concerns that sensitive company data had been exfiltrated by the attackers.
Approach
Faced with a critical situation, the hotel group’s management swiftly enlisted BeforeCrypt to mitigate the damage and expedite the restoration of services. BeforeCrypt assumed a leadership role, coordinating closely with the customer’s internal IT department to manage the crisis effectively.
- Coordination and Leadership: BeforeCrypt took charge, providing strategic guidance and orchestrating the efforts of the internal IT team. This ensured a streamlined and focused approach to resolving the incident.
- Compliance and Legal Guidance: Our team handled all compliance-related issues, ensuring that the response adhered to legal requirements and best practices. This minimized the risk of legal complications arising from the incident.
- Negotiation and Communication: BeforeCrypt managed all communications with the cyber-attackers, leveraging our expertise to negotiate a reduction in the ransom demand and maintaining a secure line of communication throughout the process.
- Data Recovery and System Restoration: We developed a meticulous plan to restore hotel services and recover critical data. This included identifying and reintegrating a manageable amount of lost data, thus reducing operational downtime significantly.
- Security Analysis: A thorough analysis of firewall communications was conducted to determine the extent of data exfiltration. Fortunately, the investigation revealed no significant data loss, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.
Outcome
Thanks to BeforeCrypt’s intervention, the hotel group avoided paying the ransom, which had been reduced by €75,000 through our negotiations. Services were restored rapidly, and operational downtime was minimized. The targeted and efficient recovery process ensured that the hotel’s critical operations were back on track swiftly.
Furthermore, the comprehensive security analysis confirmed that no substantial data had been exfiltrated, thereby meeting all critical compliance requirements and providing peace of mind to the hotel management.
Conclusion
BeforeCrypt’s decisive and expert handling of the BlackCat ransomware attack not only enabled the hotel group to resume operations quickly but also safeguarded them against significant data loss and legal risks. This case exemplifies the importance of having a specialized ransomware response team to navigate and resolve complex cyber incidents efficiently.
