Prevent Ransomware Blog

Stop Playing the Crazy Game: AppGuard Way to Prevent SafePay Attacks

Written by Tony Chiappetta | Aug 21, 2025 9:00:00 AM

When Ingram Micro faced a crippling SafePay ransomware attack in early July 2025, their internal systems—and even their website and ordering platforms—were brought to a grinding halt. Employees awoke to ransom notes on their screens, and the company shut down critical infrastructures like Xvantage and Impulse to mitigate the damage BleepingComputer+1BlackFog. 

The Anatomy of a Modern Ransomware Chaos

  • Initial breach via VPN access
    Reports suggest attackers infiltrated through compromised credentials on Ingram’s GlobalProtect VPN platform. 

  • Double-extortion at work
    The SafePay group is notorious not just for encrypting data, but also for exfiltrating massive volumes for leverage. In this case, they claim to have stolen 3.5 TB of data, threatening to leak it unless paid.

  • Disruption ripple effect
    With Xvantage—a pivotal AI-powered distribution platform—and licensing systems offline, Ingram couldn’t process or fulfill orders, directly impacting downstream partners and clients.

  • Slow and reactive defense
    The company finally confirmed the ransomware on July 5, and recovery unfolded gradually. Systems, including VPN access, were restored in phases, and order processing resumed via phone and email while internal investigations continued.

This kind of disruption is not just inconvenient—it’s chaotic. Today’s businesses can no longer afford to play catch-up with threats. The traditional “detect and respond” method is simply too slow and too risky.

The AppGuard Way: Isolation and Containment, Not Just Detection

AppGuard isn’t just another endpoint protection tool—it’s been safeguarding sensitive systems for over a decade. It doesn’t wait for threats to appear—it isolates them the moment they start.

  • Isolation-first architecture
    Instead of chasing intrusions, AppGuard prevents malware execution by creating strict boundaries around each app, blocking unauthorized activity before infection can spread.

  • Proven track record
    For ten years, AppGuard has protected critical environments—from military systems to high-security enterprises—with near-zero breaches thanks to its approach.

  • Containment, not chaos
    In a scenario like Ingram's, AppGuard’s method would likely confine ransomware to a segment, preventing system-wide outages and stopping exfiltration in its tracks.

This isn’t theory—it’s known, proven, relentless protection.

Why Now Is the Time to Act

1. Double-extortion isn’t going away

Threat actors like SafePay are increasingly brazen—stealing terabytes of data and shutting down operations to extort millions. Waiting to respond until after an attack is too late.

2. Supply chain dependence magnifies damage

A single incident at a distributor like Ingram can ripple out, affecting hundreds—even thousands—of businesses. Containing threats in real time is essential.

3. Legacy detection fails fast-moving threats

Detection tools often spot problems only after damage is done. Switching to isolation-first gives you the power to prevent breaches altogether.

4. AppGuard delivers isolation today, not tomorrow

AppGuard is not a future promise—it’s a proven solution available now, ready for commercial deployment.

Call to Action: Business Leaders, Let’s Talk

Stop playing the crazy game—reacting to chaos and hoping detection will save you.

Reach out to us at CHIPS and discover how AppGuard’s proven, isolation-first endpoint protection can shield your business from the next SafePay—or worse. Move from “Detect and Respond” to “Isolation and Containment,” and finally stop firefighting before the fire starts.

Like this article? Please share it with others!