A mid-sized company in the Netherlands experienced a severe operational disruption after a Faust ransomware attack, a variant associated with the Phobos family. The incident compromised essential data stored in Microsoft SQL Server environments, impacting information used by business applications and internal processes.
With files encrypted and tagged with the .faust extension, the organization realized that conventional recovery would not be sufficient to restore all required data. In this scenario, the IT consultancy supporting the environment sought a specialized alternative and contacted Digital Recovery to assess the technical possibilities for recovery.
Ransomware attack compromises essential Microsoft SQL Server databases
The affected environment relied heavily on its IT infrastructure, especially the Microsoft SQL Server databases used by internal applications and operational processes.
The files related to the databases contained structured information accumulated over time, including operational records, historical data, and information used daily by the company. For that reason, recovering individual files alone would not be enough to reestablish business continuity.
The main challenge was to recover functional, usable databases so that applications dependent on this information could operate properly again.
After the attack, systems that relied on the SQL Server databases were unable to access the information required for normal operation.
Some processes had to be temporarily halted or executed through alternative methods while the technical teams evaluated restoration options. The organization’s greatest concern was the potential loss of important historical and operational information if the databases could not be recovered.
Although the company had backup procedures, the available files were not sufficient to fully restore all required databases. Some restore points were outdated, incomplete, or did not contain all the information necessary to return the applications to the expected state.
Technical challenge: recovering SQL Server databases affected by ransomware
Recovering databases after a ransomware attack requires a different approach than traditional file restoration.
In this case, the goal was not just to retrieve encrypted files, but to rebuild structured information that could be validated and reused in a functional Microsoft SQL Server environment.
Digital Recovery initiated a technical diagnostic to evaluate the condition of the affected data and identify which databases had recovery potential. The analysis considered the importance of each database to the company’s operations, prioritizing the most critical information for business continuity.
The project combined proprietary data recovery technologies from Digital Recovery, specialized Microsoft SQL Server expertise, and advanced database reconstruction techniques.
Unlike a conventional recovery, which typically aims to restore an existing copy, the work involved analyzing the ransomware-affected data and reconstructing information that could be used again by the business applications.
Digital Recovery’s experience in critical environments and ransomware recovery was essential to define the right strategy for each database analyzed.
Throughout the project, communication was coordinated jointly with the IT consultancy responsible for the environment. This integration made it possible to align technical priorities with the organization’s operational needs, ensuring that the most important databases were addressed first.
Result
After analysis, recovery, and reconstruction, the recovered data was made available for validation by the client and the consulting team.
The entire process, from the start of the technical project to the final validation of the recovered information, took approximately three weeks. The progressive validation approach allowed the company to begin reviewing the recovered data before all project stages were completed.
The recovery increased confidence in rebuilding the affected environment, reduced reliance on outdated or incomplete backups, and enabled the organization to resume its processes using recovered business information.
The importance of specialized analysis after ransomware attacks
This case shows that Microsoft SQL Server databases encrypted by ransomware should not automatically be considered lost.
Database environments have complex structures and information of high value to organizations. Even when traditional restoration methods do not work, specialized technical analysis can identify recovery possibilities that are not available through conventional procedures.
The case also reinforces the importance of collaboration between specialized recovery firms and IT service providers. The consultancy already had deep knowledge of the client’s infrastructure and needs, while Digital Recovery contributed its experience in ransomware recovery and the reconstruction of critical databases.
