Ransomware dubbed DragonForce has become more than a nuisance for some major corporations across the ... More world.

Over the past week, some of the U.K.’s biggest and most historic retailers have been hacked by a group known as DragonForce. The group told the BBC it was responsible for hits on Co-Op, Harrods and Marks & Spencer, stealing and locking up customer data with ransomware.

It’s unclear how much the hackers have demanded to restore their victims’ systems, yet the question on all of its victims’ lips remains: who or what is DragonForce and how should companies defend against its attacks? According to some researchers, DragonForce is linked to a group known as Scattered Spider, which was recently targeted in law enforcement action with five arrests of alleged members.

Cybersecurity firm Check Point released research on Tuesday that said DragonForce was “a ransomware cartel” that launched in late 2023, though its roots have been traced to a hacktivist crew based in Malaysia. Today, it essentially offers criminals........

© Forbes