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The Qilin ransomware group is escalating its extortion tactics by offering legal counsel to its affiliates, as reported by Cybereason. This new service, accessible through a "Call Lawyer" button on the affiliate panel, aims to pressure victims into paying larger ransoms by adding a layer of perceived legitimacy and intimidation. The "legal eagles" are available to provide guidance on maximizing economic damage to companies refusing to meet ransom demands, including assessing potential legal damages and reputational risks. This strategic move is designed to increase the success rate of ransom negotiations, ultimately boosting revenue for both the affiliates and the Qilin group.

Qilin's "legal department" provides several services to assist affiliates, including legal assessment of stolen data, classification of violations under applicable legal frameworks, and evaluation of potential damages to the victim organization. The group believes that having a lawyer involved in negotiations will exert indirect pressure on companies, making them more inclined to pay due to a reluctance to engage in costly and time-consuming legal proceedings. This represents a sophisticated approach, blurring the lines between cybercrime and legitimate business practices, potentially creating a more persuasive and intimidating front for extortion.

The rise of Qilin comes amidst the collapse of other major ransomware gangs like RansomHub, LockBit, Black Cat, Everest, and BlackLock, which have faced operational failures, internal breaches, and public defacements. Qilin is rapidly filling this void, positioning itself as a full-service cybercrime platform with extensive support and robust solutions. This includes spam services, PB-scale data storage, a team of in-house journalists, the ability to conduct DDoS attacks, and now, legal guidance. With 304 claimed victims since the start of the year, Qilin's marketplace is rapidly growing, driven by its mature ecosystem and ability to conduct highly targeted, high-impact ransomware attacks.

ImgSrc: blogger.googleu

References :

• securityonline.info: Ransomware gang Qilin Rises Amid Collapse of Major Gangs Like RansomHub and LockBit
• The Hacker News: Qilin Ransomware Adds "Call Lawyer" Feature to Pressure Victims for Larger Ransoms
• Malware ? Graham Cluley: Qilin offers “Call a lawyer†button for affiliates attempting to extort ransoms from victims who won’t pay
• DataBreaches.Net: Graham Cluley reports: Imagine for one moment that you are a cybercriminal. You have compromised an organisation’s network, you have stolen their data, you have encrypted their network, and you are now knee-deep in the ransomware negotiation. However, there’s a problem.

Classification:

• HashTags: #QilinRansomware #RansomwareExtortion #Cybercrime
• Company: Cybereason
• Target: Organizations
• Attacker: Qilin
• Product: Ransomware
• Feature: Call Lawyer feature
• Malware: Qilin
• Type: Ransomware
• Severity: Major