ransomware defense

Ransomware defense on Windows systems requires vigilance against novel attack techniques that abuse trusted collaboration platforms. A recent DragonForce ransomware campaign against a U.S. services company in December 2025 hid command-and-control traffic inside Microsoft Teams relay infrastructure using a custom Go backdoor tracked as Backdoor.Turn. This approach exploits the trust granted to legitimate Microsoft services, making outbound traffic appear clean while enabling deep compromise. For Windows defenders, this highlights the need to monitor behavioral anomalies rather than relying solely on brand-name traffic. Ransomware groups are evolving from noisy intrusions toward bespoke tooling, demanding updated defense strategies that account for abuse of legitimate collaboration plumbing.