A recent report from SC Media reveals that the ransomware group Qilin has become a leading threat on the cybercrime landscape. In July 2025, Qilin was responsible for about 17% of all reported ransomware victims—73 incidents out of 423. SC Media
The attacks are increasing in both scale and sophistication, targeting all kinds of organizations—from healthcare to construction—and exploiting known vulnerabilities like Citrix NetScaler ADC CVE-2025-5777 and issues in Microsoft SharePoint.
Traditional security models often rely heavily on detecting threats (via antivirus, security information and event management, intrusion detection systems) and then responding—isolating after a breach, cleaning up, restoring backups. This detect-then-respond model has served us so far, but it’s increasingly clear that it’s not enough:
Speed: Ransomware groups like Qilin move fast. Once they exploit a vulnerability, encryption or other damage can happen in minutes or hours—often before detection systems even register something suspicious.
Scope: The more interconnected systems are, the wider the blast radius. If the attacker moves laterally before detection—or exploits something not yet patched—conventional detection may be too late.
Recovery Cost: Even after detection, responding involves downtime, loss of reputation, legal exposure, costs for remediation and compensation. Sometimes victims pay ransom simply because restoration is too slow or complex.
Supply Chain & Infrastructure Risk: As reports highlight, Qilin is targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains. The risk is no longer limited to direct assets; downstream exposures and third-party dependencies mean failure in one place can cascade.
To stay ahead, businesses need to shift from “detect and respond” to a model that emphasizes isolation and containment—stopping threats as early as possible, or better yet, preventing them from gaining a foothold in the first place. Key features include:
Proactive blocking of unauthorized behavior: Not just looking for known malware signatures, but preventing malicious actions (like unexpected code execution, or attempts to modify critical system files) before damage.
Micro-isolation: Dividing system components so that if one area is compromised, the threat can’t spread. This limits lateral movement of attackers.
Granular policy enforcement: Ensuring only allowed programs run, enforcing least privilege, controlling access to resources.
Fallback containment: If something suspicious does happen, automatically isolating affected endpoints or segments to prevent further spread.
This kind of model reduces “attack surface” in real time. It buys organizations time, prevents or limits damage, and lowers costs.
That’s where AppGuard comes in. With over 10 years of proven success in defending endpoints, it brings an isolation-and-containment approach into the commercial domain. Here’s what makes it compelling:
Proven track record: AppGuard has been safeguarding sensitive environments for more than a decade, stopping zero-day threats, preventing lateral movement, and curbing attacks that traditional tools didn’t catch.
Behavioral blocking not just signature based: Rather than waiting for a threat to be identified in a database, AppGuard enforces policies that block suspicious behaviors—executables, scripts, or access attempts that shouldn’t happen in a secure environment.
Minimal user disruption: Because the containment is fine-grained, users can continue working normally in most cases. Only the disallowed behavior is blocked, rather than locking down the entire endpoint or degrading usability.
Adaptability: As threat actors like Qilin evolve—seeking new vulnerabilities or phishing paths—AppGuard’s model is designed to adapt quickly without waiting for vendors to issue patches or detection signatures.
From the SC Media article, some key takeaways reinforce urgency:
Qilin’s rise shows new ransomware groups can achieve dominance quickly.
The targeting of professional services, healthcare, construction reflects that no industry is safe.
Exploitable software vulnerabilities remain a major vector. Waiting for patched exploits leaves a window for attackers.
These trends demand that organizations move beyond reactive strategies. The cost of doing nothing—or of sticking with detection alone—is rising fast.
To build a resilient defense posture oriented around isolation and containment, every business should:
Assess current tools and policies
What detection tools are you using? Are you relying mainly on post-breach detection and response? Where are your gaps in isolation?
Map critical assets and threat vectors
Identify where vulnerabilities could be exploited (software, infrastructure, third-party vendors). Determine what sensitive data or systems must be protected by containment.
Implement principle of least privilege and micro-segmentation
Only give apps and users the minimum access needed. Segment networks so that breach in one segment doesn’t compromise all.
Deploy an isolation/containment-first endpoint protection solution—like AppGuard
Make sure your endpoints are protected not just by detecting threats but by preventing unauthorized behavior.
Regularly test and refine
Penetration tests, red-team exercises, simulations. See what might evade detection and ensure containment works as expected.
The ransomware landscape is shifting. Groups like Qilin aren’t just showing up—they are dominating. Waiting until detection fails is a risk many businesses can’t afford. Loss of trust, financial damage, compliance breaches—all consequences that mount quickly.
By adopting app behavior-blocking, isolation and containment strategies—especially through mature solutions like AppGuard—businesses can reduce risk, limit damage, and ensure better uptime and resilience.
If you're a business leader or security decision-maker, let’s talk. CHIPS offers expertise in deploying AppGuard to help organizations move beyond detect-and-respond. Let us show you how isolation and containment can prevent incidents like those being carried out by Qilin.
Reach out today to schedule a consultation with us at CHIPS
. Don’t wait for the next attack—protect your business proactively.
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