Qilin ransomware reports 1,358 victims amid global ransomware surge

Qilin ransomware announced 1,358 disclosed victims across more than 50 countries, a 443 percent increase from the previous year and roughly one in every five to six publicly reported ransomware cases. The group encrypts systems, steals data and threatens to leak information, targeting sectors such as manufacturing and professional services, and increasingly affecting mid‑sized firms with revenues of $50‑$100 million.

Separate research highlighted Royal ransomware’s tactics, which combine the Qbot backdoor with Cobalt Strike to rapidly compromise Windows domains after spear‑phishing attacks. The campaign, active in late 2022, listed around 60 victims and featured multimillion‑dollar ransom demands. By leveraging stolen credential hashes, Windows services and encoded PowerShell commands, Royal could spread quickly across corporate networks, creating enterprise‑wide crises.