Ransomware gang Qilin has claimed responsibility for a February 2025 cyber-attack on the Cleveland Municipal Court. The court immediately shut down all operations and reopened on March 12th. Now three weeks later, the court is still struggling to resume normal operations. The court has not yet verified Qilin’s claim.
In a blog post reporting this news, Paul Bischoff, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Comparitech, wrote:
“Qilin is a ransomware group that began claiming responsibility for attacks on its website in late 2022. Also known as Agenda, Qilin is a Russia-based hacking group that mainly targets victims through phishing emails to spread its ransomware. It launched in August 2022 and runs a ransomware-as-a-service business in which affiliates pay to use Qilin’s malware to launch attacks and collect ransoms. The group has claimed 51 confirmed ransomware attacks since it began, compromising about 1.9 million records.”
“Ransomware attacks on US government agencies and departments can both steal data and lock down computer systems. The attacker then demands a ransom to delete the stolen data and in exchange for a key to recover infected systems. If the target doesn’t pay, it could take weeks or even months to restore systems, and people whose data was stolen are put at greater risk of fraud. Ransomware can disrupt everything from communications to billing, payroll, and online services.”
“In 2025 so far, Comparitech researchers have logged nine confirmed ransomware attacks on US government entities at federal, state, and local levels. Another 17 such attacks have been claimed by ransomware gangs but not confirmed by authorities.”
Additionally, Comparitech also today released two studies looking into the impacts of ransomware attacks against US and worldwide government organizations.
This is yet another example of how threat actors have made lives miserable for people via their actions. And it should serve as a call to action to make the lives of threat actors more difficult by making it harder for them to pwn their victims.
Approov Shortlisted for Cyber Innovation Recognition at the 2025 Scottish Cyber Awards
Posted in Commentary with tags Approov on March 18, 2025 by itnerdApproov has announced that it’s been shortlisted as a finalist for the Cyber Innovation Award at the 2025 Scottish Cyber Awards, sponsored by SC3. This prestigious recognition highlights Approov’s groundbreaking work in mobile security, alongside esteemed finalists Lloyds Banking Group, Morgan Stanley, TrueDeploy, and PACE Anti-Piracy Europe Ltd.
The Scottish Cyber Awards celebrate outstanding contributions to cybersecurity, showcasing organizations that drive innovation and resilience in digital security. Approov’s selection as a finalist underscores its pioneering app attestation technology, which safeguards mobile applications and their backend APIs from emerging cyber threats.
A Revolutionary Approach to Mobile Security
Approov’s innovation directly addresses the growing risks of API abuse, mobile app tampering, and data breaches. With its patented client software attestation technology (U.S. Patent 11,163,858 B2), Approov ensures that only legitimate, untampered mobile applications can interact with critical backend systems. This cloud-based attestation solution provides seamless security across Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS applications, making it a trusted choice for industries such as fintech, healthcare, automotive, and e-commerce.
Standing Out in the Cybersecurity Landscape
Approov’s nomination stems from its proven impact in reducing fraud, preventing unauthorized API access, and helping businesses comply with evolving data security regulations like the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) and UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC). By tackling API security vulnerabilities that traditional platform-native solutions fail to address, Approov offers organizations a future-proof defense against sophisticated cyber threats.
The winners of the 2025 Scottish Cyber Awards will be revealed at a gala ceremony in Edinburgh on March 27, 2025. Approov congratulates all fellow finalists and looks forward to celebrating cybersecurity excellence in Scotland.
For more information about the Awards, visit 2025 Scottish Cyber Awards.
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