Qilin Ransomware Explained | Understanding Cyber Attacks & Defense | Qualys
Summary: Qilin, a ransomware operation originally authored under the Dark Web moniker BianLian, has been linked to attacks across more than 25 countries and was identified by public sources as the leading ransomware threat overall as of May 2025. It performs double extortion with high-speed encryption, backup deletion, and data exfiltration, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported Qilin-related losses ranging from $6 million to $40 million per victim, primarily affecting healthcare and government agencies across the Americas.
Key Takeaway: An FBI report counted over 1,700 ransomware attacks in 2024 with reported earnings of $91 million, yet the source notes actual figures are likely much higher because the extortion ecosystem is opaque and underreported. Qilin's dump site lists smaller organizations among its victims, so the size of your organization is not what determines whether it appears there.
Read the original at Qualys Blog ↗
- Topics
- Threat Actors & Nation-State
- Related
- University of Texas at Arlington warns personal information stolen during cyberattack Cyber Risks · Nov 13, 2026Hackers Exploit PHP2Shell Flaws in Check Point Gateways to Deploy TSGA Backdoor and Wipe ESXi Files Cyber Risks · Nov 13, 2026Hackers compromise 4,800 GitHub accounts to steal cloud credentials Cyber Risks · Nov 12, 2026