DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response

24/7 Emergency Hotline for DragonForce ransomware incident response: 1 (833) 562-5273

24/7 DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response Services

DragonForce ransomware incident response requires fast containment and coordinated action. DragonForce ransomware is an aggressive encryption and extortion threat used by financially motivated groups targeting organizations across transportation, logistics, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, and government. If your systems are encrypted or you suspect DragonForce activity, immediate action is essential. Our DragonForce ransomware incident response team can rapidly contain the attack, remove the threat, and support full recovery.

Understanding DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response

DragonForce ransomware is part of a rapidly evolving ecosystem of encryption based threats that combine data theft, lateral movement, and extortion tactics. Attacks often follow a predictable pattern:

• Initial access through stolen credentials, phishing, VPN vulnerabilities, or exposed RDP
• Deployment of tools for reconnaissance and data harvesting
• Privilege escalation and lateral movement
• Exfiltration of sensitive data
• Execution of the DragonForce ransomware payload
• Display of ransom notes and extortion instructions

Victims may also be listed on public leak sites if they refuse to pay. Lockard Security responds to DragonForce incidents across all industries and helps determine impact, secure the environment, and assist with recovery.

Indicators Of DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response Cases

File Extensions

DragonForce variants commonly append extensions such as:

• .dragonforce
• .dforce
• .dfcrypted

Not all victims see the same extension on every host, but a sudden change to one of these across many files is a strong indicator.

Ransom Note Filenames

Typical ransom note filenames include:

• README_DRAGONFORCE.txt
• DRAGONFORCE_RECOVER_FILES.txt
• HOW_TO_RESTORE_DRAGONFORCE.txt

Suspicious Directories

DragonForce campaigns are often associated with temporary working folders used to stage data or scripts, such as:

• C:\ProgramData\dragon_tmp\
• C:\Users\Public\DF_Stage\

Malicious Commands And Behavior

DragonForce operators frequently run commands to disable recovery and make restoration more difficult, including:

vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet
bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled no

Other common behaviors include:

• Use of PsExec or WMI for remote execution
• Use of tools such as Cobalt Strike or Sliver for command and control
• Deployment of unsigned binaries in C:\Users\Public\ or temporary folders
• Batch files or scripts that trigger mass file encryption in a short timeframe

Network Indicators

Network activity associated with DragonForce often includes:

• Outbound connections to TOR based onion services
• Encrypted traffic to disposable virtual private servers
• Use of cloud storage services for data exfiltration

Specific hostnames and IP addresses rotate frequently. Lockard Security maintains current threat intelligence and can help correlate activity in your logs.

How DragonForce Ransomware Enters A Network

DragonForce operators use several techniques to gain initial access:

• Phishing emails that deliver loaders or credential theft pages
• Exposed RDP or VPN services without multifactor authentication
• Exploitation of unpatched edge devices and internet facing applications
• Compromised MSP or remote management accounts
• Use of stolen credentials purchased on underground marketplaces

Once inside, attackers escalate privileges, move laterally, steal data, and deploy the DragonForce ransomware payload across endpoints and servers.

Our DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response Process And Support

Lockard Security follows a structured DragonForce ransomware incident response process aligned with NIST 800-61. Our approach emphasizes rapid containment, accurate investigation, and controlled recovery while preserving evidence for insurance, legal, and regulatory requirements. We also align our response practices with guidance from CISA’s Stop Ransomware program.

1. Immediate Triage And Containment

• Isolation of compromised hosts from the network
• Blocking attacker access at the firewall, VPN, and identity provider levels
• Identification of active lateral movement and suspicious logins
• Preservation of forensic evidence from critical systems

2. Investigation And Forensic Analysis

• Analysis of endpoint, server, network, and cloud logs
• Identification of the initial entry point and timeline of attacker activity
• Assessment of systems accessed or encrypted
• Determination of whether data was exfiltrated and what data is at risk

3. Threat Removal And Environment Cleanup

• Removal of DragonForce binaries, scripts, and scheduled tasks
• Elimination of persistence mechanisms and unauthorized accounts
• Deactivation of malicious tools and scripts left behind by the attackers
• Resetting compromised identities and enforcing multifactor authentication
• Closing vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that allowed the attack

4. Recovery And Restoration

• Identification of clean backups and viable restore points
• Assistance with rebuilding affected servers and workstations
• Validation that systems are clean before reconnecting them to the network
• Support for business continuity objectives and critical application recovery
• Guidance through cyber insurance and notification requirements

5. Post Incident Review And Hardening

• Comprehensive incident report and attack timeline
• Root cause analysis and documentation of impact
• Specific recommendations for improving identity, endpoint, network, cloud, and backup controls
• Prioritized roadmap to reduce the likelihood and impact of future ransomware events

Industries Targeted By DragonForce Ransomware

DragonForce campaigns have been observed targeting many sectors, including:

• Transportation and freight carriers
• Logistics and freight load boards
• Manufacturing and industrial operations
• Agriculture, large farms, and wineries
• Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and IT service firms
• Healthcare and life sciences
• Professional services such as legal, accounting, and consulting
• Retail and ecommerce businesses
• Automotive dealers and repair services
• State, local, and federal government entities
• Education and nonprofit organizations

Lockard Security has incident response experience across these environments and understands the operational, regulatory, and uptime requirements that influence response decisions.

What To Do Before Calling Our DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response Team

If you believe you are dealing with DragonForce ransomware or see suspicious encryption activity, the steps you take in the first few hours have a major impact on recovery.

Actions To Avoid

• Do not pay the ransom before speaking with an experienced incident response team.
• Do not delete encrypted files or ransom notes.
• Do not rely on random decryption tools found online.
• Do not perform uncontrolled reboots of critical systems while encryption is in progress.

Immediate Steps To Take

• Disconnect affected systems from the network.
• Disable remote access such as VPN and RDP until reviewed.
• Enforce multifactor authentication on all remote access and administrative accounts.
• Contact Lockard Security for DragonForce ransomware incident response support.

Early containment and coordinated response reduce data loss, downtime, and overall business impact.

24/7 DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response

If your organization is facing a DragonForce ransomware attack or you suspect related activity in your network, contact us immediately for help.

24/7 Emergency Hotline: 1 (833) 562-5273

Email: [email protected]

Request DragonForce Ransomware Incident Response