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DragonForce, Ransomware Cartels, and Compliance Culture

IT channel and business news with a focus on regulatory compliance.

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Blacksmith Team
November 05, 2025

☠️ The Rise of Ransomware Cartels

DragonForce has quickly transformed from the shadows of obscurity into one of the most watched ransomware cartels of 2025, marking a significant evolution in both the scale and style of cyber extortion…

🎙️The Get NIST-y Podcast!

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Jared and Mike talk all things compliance and IT channel while answering your burning questions!

🏢 It Takes More Than Policies — Building a Resilient Compliance Culture

Most organizations have compliance policies. Yet with compliance and risk constantly changing, policies alone don’t create a culture that can withstand regulatory scrutiny or evolving threats. To deliver true business resilience, compliance must be lived by every team, championed daily by leadership, and woven into the operational fabric of every department.​..

⚠️ Threat Updates

🔴 AlphaLocker Ransomware Group Hits Riverside Dental Chain (11/03/25)

The AlphaLocker ransomware group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack affecting Riverside Dental, a major chain with clinics nationwide. The incident disrupted business operations, encrypted sensitive patient and billing data, and forced temporary shutdowns. » More Info

🔴 University of Pennsylvania Data Breach Exposes 1.2 Million Records (11/03/25)

The University of Pennsylvania suffered a major data breach after attackers gained access to an employee’s PennKey account, enabling entry into core systems like Salesforce, SharePoint, and analytics platforms. Sensitive data for approximately 1.2 million students, alumni, and donors — including names, contact info, donation history, net worth estimates, and demographic details — was exfiltrated, with samples published online and a full dataset threatened for release. The intruders used university systems to send mass emails warning of the breach, prompting a rapid investigation, FBI notification, and assessment of further exposure risks. » More Info​

🗨️ Parting Words

“Technology is a word that describes something that doesn’t work yet.” — Douglas Adams, Author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Are you a vCISO or MSP looking to operationalize security programs? Let’s discuss how Blacksmith Infosec proves that compliance is an opportunity, not a struggle that has to be packaged in FUD!