A cybercrime gang known for conducting ransomware attacks on computer systems around the world is saying it cracked Cobb County government’s networks recently that led to 10 individuals being affected, according to a published report.
But Cobb government said Friday afternoon it hasn’t been able to confirm the identity of the culprits, and “we will not speculate on information allegedly found on obscure parts of the internet.”
Cobb announced the data breach on March 21 as it began to investigate, and said last week that it believed that “an unauthorized actor” gained access to its computer systems.
A statement from Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt Friday afternoon said that Cobb has acknowledged that there was a ransomware attack, adding that “we immediately followed established protocols, took our systems offline, and restored operations shortly thereafter.”
A third party issued a ransom demand, “which we declined,” Cavitt continued. “We refuse to support or enable criminal enterprises, even when faced with difficult choices. While we understand this may offer limited comfort to those affected, standing firm sends a clear message: bad actors will not profit from this crime.”
A website called Comparitech, which says it’s a British-based “pro-consumer” entity that helps individuals and organizations improve online security and privacy, published a story Friday saying that the cybercrime group, Qilin, claimed responsibility for the Cobb government network attacks.
The Comparitech report showed a graphic (above, at right) of what Qilin listed on its dark site about the Cobb attack, with some identifications covered, and said that 150 GB of data had been stolen.
According to Comparitech, Qilin “is a Russia-based hacking group that mainly targets victims through phishing emails to spread its ransomware” and began in 2022.
The report said Qilin has claimed 17 attacks in 2025 and there are 161 other unconfirmed claims “that haven’t been acknowledged by the targeted organizations.”
Qilin is a Chinese word for a unicorn and is a famous figure in Chinese mythology, signfiying good fortune, peace, and prosperity.
Also known as Agenda, Qilin is a ransomware-as-a-service criminal operation that works with affiliates to encrypt the data of hacked organizations, then demands a ransom.
The Comparitech report said that recent attacks include a local government data breach in West Haven, Conn., in which more than 4,000 people were notified.
A municipal court in Cleveland, Ohio said Qilin demanded $4 million in an attack in February, according to Comparitech.
On Friday, Cavitt didn’t say how much of a ransom was demanded of Cobb government.
Cobb said the 10 individuals affected by the data breach last month have been contacted, but didn’t elaborate on what data was stolen or compromised, and that the FBI has been notified, but didn’t indicate how that agency may be involved.
In Friday’s statement, Cavitt also said the following:
“Our investigation is ongoing. We will continue to notify any additional affected individuals as necessary. If we determine that specific personal information is at risk, Cobb County will provide those individuals with credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
“We also urge all residents to remain vigilant. Monitor your financial accounts closely and immediately report any suspicious activity to your financial institution. Currently, there is no evidence that any individual has experienced harm due to this incident.
“Finally, we want to reassure the public that Cobb County’s network is secure, and it remains safe to do business with us. Please note that this remains an active law enforcement investigation, and there may be questions we are unable to answer at this time.”
Related:
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- Cobb department heads ask for $92M+ in new spending
- Server outage affecting some Cobb online systems
- Cobb libraries enable wireless printing from mobile devices
- 2025 Cobb tax digest projected to grow by 2 percent
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