The numbers don’t lie—and they’re getting worse. According to a recent report from The Hacker News, ransomware activity surged dramatically in April 2025, with the notorious Qilin gang leading the charge. Qilin alone was responsible for 72 data leak disclosures, topping the list of active ransomware groups for the month.
This resurgence isn't an isolated event. It’s the latest chapter in a broader, more dangerous trend that’s hitting organizations of all sizes—and it's proof that the current “detect and respond” model is no longer sufficient to defend against sophisticated, fast-acting threats.
The Qilin Threat: Efficient, Ruthless, and Devastating
Qilin (also known as Agenda) is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group that’s been quietly gaining momentum for over two years. What sets them apart is their aggressive double-extortion model: not only do they encrypt a company’s data, but they also threaten to publish it if the ransom isn’t paid. The 72 data leaks published in April represent only the victims who either didn’t pay or were made examples of.
According to The Hacker News report, Qilin is targeting a wide swath of industries globally—from manufacturing and healthcare to education and logistics. No sector is immune, and their tactics continue to evolve. The group’s affiliates are increasingly using living-off-the-land (LotL) techniques, leveraging legitimate tools already present in networks to avoid detection for as long as possible.
Detect and Respond: Too Late, Too Costly
Traditional security models are built around detection and response—spotting the threat, containing it, and mitigating damage. But as we’ve seen in the Qilin case and countless others, the window of opportunity for containment often closes before security teams can act.
Sophisticated actors like Qilin don’t just drop in, encrypt files, and leave. They conduct multi-stage intrusions, often spending days or even weeks in an environment before launching the ransomware payload. During that time, they move laterally, escalate privileges, exfiltrate data, and prepare to inflict maximum damage.
By the time they’re detected—if they’re detected—it’s already too late. Your backups may be gone. Your data is already stolen. Your operations are at a standstill. Your reputation is on the line.
Isolation and Containment: A Better Path Forward
There is a better way. It starts with assuming that threats will get in—and preventing them from doing damage when they do.
This is where AppGuard comes in.
AppGuard is not another detect-and-respond tool. It is a proactive isolation and containment solution that prevents malware—known or unknown—from executing malicious actions, even if it gets onto a device. It does not rely on signature-based detection or cloud lookups. Instead, it applies patented policy-based controls at the kernel level, which automatically blocks untrusted processes from launching or tampering with system functions.
That means:
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No malware detonation
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No lateral movement
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No privilege escalation
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No data exfiltration
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No need for daily updates or human tuning
AppGuard has a proven 10-year track record of zero breaches in operational environments across both government and commercial sectors. Now available for commercial adoption, it offers the kind of protection modern businesses need to stay resilient in the face of today’s relentless ransomware threats.
Why This Matters to Your Business
The Qilin ransomware surge is just one example in a growing wave of high-impact cyberattacks. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, the same pattern applies: detection happens too late, and the response costs are devastating.
You don’t have to wait until your business becomes the next headline. AppGuard can stop ransomware like Qilin in its tracks—before it encrypts, before it spreads, before it steals.
Don’t Just Detect. Prevent.
At CHIPS, we believe that “good enough” security isn’t good enough anymore. We’ve partnered with AppGuard because we know its isolation and containment approach is the future of endpoint protection.
If you're a business owner concerned about ransomware, let’s talk. We’ll show you how AppGuard can prevent incidents like the Qilin attack—not just respond to them after the damage is done.
👉 Contact CHIPS today to learn how AppGuard can protect your business from becoming the next victim.
Stop ransomware before it starts. Move from detection to prevention. Move to AppGuard.
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