In the aftermath of a critical ransomware attack, an educational institution reached out to WYRE for help.
With over 1,200 endpoints and more than 900 staff members, the scope of the cleanup was daunting.
The attack had not only threatened operations but also left critical systems vulnerable.
The institution urgently needed help to recover from the incident—and ensure it wouldn’t happen again.
Phase 1: Critical System Recovery
Our first priority was to stabilize their environment. The institution had significant infrastructure, including a large virtual environment and numerous endpoints, making it vital for WYRE to move quickly and efficiently.
We focused on:
- Restoring critical systems, ensuring their OSes were up to date.
- Installing antivirus software on every machine, including servers, to prevent further vulnerabilities.
- Restoring backups to the correct locations, utilizing existing backup systems.
With systems stabilized, the institution was ready for the next phase.
Phase 2: Proactive Projects
Through discovery and ongoing conversations, WYRE worked with the institution to address other issues in their infrastructure.
Leveraging our engineering team’s collective 100 years of IT experience, we:
- Helped them implement change-control processes. This ensured consistent quality and stability through risk management and minimization of disruptions during changes.
- Audited their existing M365 Active Directory environment and condensed domain controllers to address replication issues. This consolidation not only enhanced reliability and performance, but also streamlined management, reduced complexity, and enhanced overall network efficiency.
- Patched and addressed Linux Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) on Red Hat servers. This was an effective way to reduce the risk of breaches and build a more stable and secure server environment.
- Created more robust business process automation for importing student transcripts. This improvement allowed staff to focus on more strategic initiatives, ultimately improving the student experience and institutional efficiency.
- Audited M365 Active Directory environment. Throughout this process, we cleaned up over 140,000 inactive user accounts.
WYRE Always Helps
By partnering with WYRE, this educational institution was able to utilize our team's expertise and experience—both of which were instrumental in stabilizing critical systems, preventing further vulnerabilities, and implementing proactive measures for ongoing improvement.
Having fully recovered from the devastating ransomware attack, they now have the tools, processes, and team in place to become better stewards of their IT environment.
WYRE continues to work closely with them, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations and supporting their mission to provide a safe and robust educational experience..
If your educational institution is looking into disaster recovery for ransomware—whether you're in Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, or beyond—WYRE always helps.