Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Why Real Stories Matter
Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights one essential truth: digital threats are real, but so is resilience.
At New England Systems Inc. (NSI), headquartered in Naugatuck, we specialize in helping small and mid-sized businesses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and across New England safeguard their operations from ransomware, phishing, and data loss.
Recently, one of our clients faced a major ransomware incident that could have shut down their operations indefinitely. What followed was a textbook example of rapid, expert-led recovery.
The Incident: A Breach Triggered by Admin Access
On September 20, 2025, the company owner requested local administrator privileges on his Windows desktop.
Attackers exploited this access and deployed the Play Ransomware strain, spreading through the client’s internal network.
Within hours, nearly 20 systems, including servers, desktops, and VMware hosts, were encrypted.
Key infrastructure—the domain controller and file server—was rendered inaccessible.
The Response: NSI’s Total Care at Work
When NSI’s SentinelOne endpoint protection detected ransomware-like behavior, our Security Operations Center (SOC) sprang into action.
Within an hour:
- Our SOC isolated infected machines
- The Backup & Disaster Recovery (BDR) Team verified clean backups
- Tier 3 engineers and on-site technicians began complete system rebuilds
- The client’s cyber insurance provider was notified and coordinated with
Thanks to NSI’s isolated backup appliance, part of our Total Care package, all critical data remained completely intact.
The Results: 48 Hours to Full Recovery
In the next 48 hours, NSI had:
- Rebuilt the domain controller and file server
- Restored production systems from verified backups
- Deployed clean images to all workstations
In the morning of September 22, key systems were live. Then, the next day, all users were fully operational — with no data loss and no ransom paid.
That’s the NSI difference: rapid recovery, minimal downtime, and complete protection.
Lessons Learned and Best Practices
This real-world case reinforces cybersecurity fundamentals that every business should follow:
- Limit administrator privileges — even trusted users can inadvertently create risk.
- Maintain isolated, verified backups — ensure backups can’t be encrypted by ransomware.
- Implement MFA (multi-factor authentication) — it’s your first line of defense.
- Partner with a local cybersecurity provider — fast, in-person response matters during a breach.
Why Local Matters: GEO Strength in Cybersecurity
When ransomware hits, every second counts.
Being based in Connecticut allows NSI to dispatch on-site technicians within hours, not days — a response time that out-of-state providers can’t match.
Local presence means:
- Faster remediation times
- Hands-on assistance during crisis events
- Deeper relationships with regional insurance and compliance partners
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October is the perfect time to evaluate your organization’s cyber readiness.
Don’t wait for an incident to test your resilience — let NSI help you Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover with confidence.
Contact NSI today for a Cybersecurity Readiness Assessment.
Because when threats evolve, your defense should too.
FAQs
How fast can a business recover from ransomware with NSI?
In this case, critical systems were restored in under 48 hours, thanks to pre-deployed backup and recovery systems.
What ransomware strain was involved?
The attackers used the Play Ransomware variant, known for targeting SMBs.
Were backups affected?
No. NSI’s isolated backup solution kept data safe from the Windows environment and ransomware encryption.
Does NSI only serve Connecticut?
NSI supports businesses across Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the surrounding New England regions with on-site and remote services.