As ransomware threats continue to escalate, Qilin has rapidly established itself as a dominant force within the global cybercrime ecosystem, targeting organisations across critical sectors worldwide.
The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB), describes Qilin as one of the most impactful ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations worldwide in its latest report.
Only two weeks prior a Belgian tax law firm was targeted. The group has allegedly compromised at least 15 organisations in Belgium, primarily in the technology and manufacturing sectors. [ccb.belgium.be]
What makes Qilin different?
Qilin operates using what’s called, a double-extortion model. This tactic involves demanding a ransom payment while simultaneously threatening to publicly release stolen data. Data encryption disrupts operations, while the threat of public exposure increases pressure on victims to pay.
The group targets organisations across multiple sectors, mainly for financial gain and geopolitical affiliations. Manufacturing, technology, healthcare, and financial services are among the most affected industries. Primary targets remain The United States remains and Canada and major European economies.
The strength and multitude of a Qilin attack is that they don’t rely on one single attack method. Attack methods include phishing, exposed VPNs, vulnerable applications, stolen credentials, MFA fatigue, SIM swapping, and purchased access from Initial Access Brokers.
The initial compromise often stems from weaknesses that many organisations already know they should address but struggle to continuously manage.
How to defend against Qilin attacks
The impact of ransomware goes far beyond the ransom demand. A successful attack can cause production downtime, business disruption, incident response costs, data breach notifications, regulatory scrutiny, legal expenses, and loss of customer trust.
For many organisations, the greatest challenge is not the encryption itself, but the operational disruption and recovery effort that follows.
Armoring your organization against an attack calls for a multi-layered security strategy. At ACEN, we translate security guidance into practical protection. Incorporating people, processes, and technology into a tight security mesh.
1. Vulnerability Management and Security Assessments
Qilin uses exposed and unpatched vulnerabilities to gain access. ACEN helps organisations identify and reduce risk through vulnerability assessments, continuous monitoring, security audits, and remediation guidance. This helps identify and close security gaps before attackers can exploit them.
2. Reducing Privileged Risk with PAM
Privileged accounts are prime targets for ransomware operators. ACEN’s Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions help organisations secure privileged credentials, enforce least-privilege access, monitor administrative activity, and reduce attack paths. This limits an attacker’s ability to move laterally and escalate privileges.
3. Strengthening Identity Security with MFA and ITDR
Compromised credentials remain a common entry point for ransomware attacks. We help organisations implement strong Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR). This reduces risks from stolen passwords, reused credentials, phishing, and identity-based attacks that bypass traditional defenses.
4. Early Detection through MDR and SOC Services
Prevention alone is not enough. Strong detection and response capabilities are essential. Our Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, supported by our Security Operations Centre (SOC), provide 24/7 monitoring, threat hunting, rapid detection, investigation, and containment support.
Specifically ACEN’s deepened MDR – Silverfort integration allows for detection of service account behavioral anomalies, cross-tier access violations, and suspicious authentication sequences. Silverfort’s freeze mode allows for instant containment of breaches and ransomware attacks. Read more about this here.
Cyber resilience is a path of remediation, refocus and continuous effort
A one-time audit is not enough. Monthly reporting isn’t sufficient. Cybersecurity isn’t a snapshot.
To maintain cyber resilience, organisations must continuously assess and improve their security posture. They must adapt to changing operational and business needs while staying ahead of an evolving threat landscape.
Organisations need a proactive, layered defence strategy that combines prevention, detection, and response while leveraging both AI capabilities and human expertise.
Because when it comes to ransomware, the question is no longer if attackers will try, but how quickly you can detect and stop them.
Find the full article and report of the CCB here: Qilin(Agenda) Threat intelligence report.
