Hello Jonathan Eubanks, President of Buckeye Telecom!

Locking down your network when a ransomware attack occurs is critical to prevent further damage and protect your data. Here are the key steps to follow:

1. Isolate Affected Systems: Identify which systems are compromised and immediately isolate them from the network. Disconnect affected devices from the local network and the internet to prevent the ransomware from spreading.

2. Shut Down Remote Access: Disable any remote access tools or services to prevent attackers from gaining further access to your network.

3. Notify IT and Security Teams: Alert your IT and security teams about the incident. They should be ready to respond and investigate the breach.

4. Identify the Ransomware Variant: Determine the specific ransomware variant if possible. This information can help find decryption tools or understand the attacker's motives.

5. Backup Verification: Check the integrity of your backups. Ensure they are not compromised and can be used for recovery. Please do not rely solely on network-attached backups, as ransomware can affect them.

6. Patch Vulnerabilities: Review your systems for vulnerabilities that the ransomware may have exploited. Apply patches and updates to eliminate security holes.

7. Implement Network Segmentation: If not already in place, implement network segmentation to isolate critical systems from less critical ones. This limits the lateral movement of ransomware.

8. Change Passwords: Reset passwords for all user accounts, especially those with administrative privileges. Use strong, unique passwords and consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA).

9. Review User Access: Review and restrict user access rights based on the principle of least privilege (PoLP). Users should only have access to the resources necessary for their roles.

10. Enhance Monitoring: Increase network traffic and systems monitoring for any signs of suspicious activity. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) and security information and event management (SIEM) tools can be valuable here.

11. Engage Cybersecurity Experts: If your in-house team is not equipped to handle the situation, consider engaging external cybersecurity experts, like Buckeye Telecom, for incident response and recovery assistance.

12. Communication: Keep your employees, customers, and relevant stakeholders informed. Be cautious about publicly sharing too much information, as it could be used against you.

13. Report to Authorities: If required, report the ransomware incident to law enforcement agencies. They may be able to provide guidance and assistance.

14. Negotiation (if necessary): Depending on your situation and risk assessment, you might have to engage with the attackers for ransom negotiation. This should be done carefully and ideally with the assistance of law enforcement.

15. Recovery: Once the network is secure, begin the process of restoring data from backups. Ensure systems are fully patched and up to date before returning them online.

16. Post-Incident Analysis: After resolving the incident, conduct a thorough post-mortem analysis to understand how the ransomware entered your network and what can be done to prevent future attacks.

Remember, a proactive approach to cybersecurity, including regular training, robust backup strategies, and a strong security posture, can help prevent ransomware attacks in the first place.