DragonForce Ransomware: Blending Hacktivist Ideals with Organised Cybercrime
- Neil Hare-Brown
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
DragonForce is one of a new wave of ransomware groups blurring the line between hacktivism and organised cybercrime.
While the group’s messaging often includes political or ideological justifications, the execution is highly strategic—focusing on stealing and encrypting data for financial gain.
DragonForce has become known for targeting high-profile entities, including businesses, public sector organisations, and critical infrastructure—especially those associated with geopolitical issues.
At STORM Guidance, we help organisations cut through the narrative and deal with the threat as it is: a sophisticated cyber extortion operation hiding behind a cause.
How DragonForce Ransomware Attacks Work
DragonForce leverages the classic double extortion model but often frames its actions as political protest or cyber justice.
However, ransom demands remain central to their operations.
A typical attack includes:
Initial access through phishing emails or vulnerable web applications
Privilege escalation and lateral movement using credential harvesting and administrative tools
Data exfiltration, focusing on confidential business data, internal communications, and customer records
File encryption, rendering critical systems inoperable
A ransom note and/or leak site listing, often wrapped in ideological messaging
Their branding and leak communications tend to draw media attention, amplifying pressure on victims to pay quickly.
Who Is DragonForce Targeting?
DragonForce targets:
Organisations with political or strategic significance, including energy, healthcare, defence, and finance
Businesses operating in geopolitically sensitive regions
Companies with reputational risk, such as those managing personal or controversial data
They aim to apply public pressure as a force multiplier—making organisations feel trapped between operational disruption and reputational fallout.
How to Defend Against DragonForce Ransomware
✅ Monitor and patch web-facing applications regularly
✅ Deploy multi-factor authentication across all systems
✅ Log and audit privileged account activity to detect abuse
✅ Implement DLP (data loss prevention) to monitor for large-scale data transfers
✅ Secure backups, stored offline and segmented from the network
✅ Develop an incident response strategy that accounts for politically sensitive leaks
If You’re Targeted by DragonForce
If your organisation is under attack:
Isolate affected systems immediately and preserve all relevant evidence
Alert internal legal and risk teams, especially if data could have regulatory impact
Avoid making ransom decisions in isolation—speak to experts
Prepare for media and customer communications if the group uses public pressure tactics
STORM Guidance supports clients with:
✔ Containment and forensic analysis
✔ Data exposure impact reviews
✔ Legal and communications strategy
✔ Expert ransom response planning and negotiation
DragonForce: When Messaging Masks Motivation
DragonForce presents itself as a hacktivist collective—but make no mistake, its methods and demands align with profit-driven cybercrime.
The use of political messaging may influence public perception, but for the victims, the damage is the same.
Whether your organisation is at risk due to its sector, location, or visibility, STORM Guidance can help you respond effectively—balancing technical containment with legal, reputational, and operational resilience.
