Metro Supply Chain Group listed on Qilin ransomware leak site

• Ransomware group: Qilin
• Country: Canada
• Sector: Transportation
• Announcement date: February 24, 2025

The Qilin ransomware group has listed the Canadian logistics firm Metro Supply Chain Group on its dedicated leak site. In a recent announcement, the threat actor claimed to have successfully compromised the organization's network and asserted that they are in possession of sensitive data belonging to the company.

The claimed attack and extortion attempt

According to the announcement published on February 24, 2025, the threat actor known as Qilin has published a notice claiming to have compromised data belonging to Metro Supply Chain Group. The group has issued a deadline, stating that the alleged stolen data will be published on their blog within five days if their demands are not met.

To support their claims of unauthorized access to the organization's network, the threat actor provided evidence in the form of images. These provided screenshots contain blurred samples of what appear to be financial documents, intended to serve as proof of the breach to the victim and the public.

Data types involved in the breach

The group claims that a significant amount of sensitive information has been exfiltrated from the organization. The specific types of data mentioned in the leak site announcement include:

• Financial data, such as balance sheets, billings, and budgets
• Employee personal data

While the group has provided blurred screenshots of documents, no specific information regarding the total size of the data or the exact file count was provided in the announcement. Furthermore, no specific ransom demand has been disclosed in the public listing.

About Metro Supply Chain Group

Metro Supply Chain Group is a Canada-based company that provides a wide array of logistics, warehousing, and supply chain management services. The organization offers end-to-end logistics solutions across various sectors, including retail, e-commerce, and the automotive industry.

Analysis and potential impact

This breach poses several significant risks to the organization and its stakeholders. For the employees of Metro Supply Chain Group, the theft of personal data may expose them to risks of identity theft. For the company itself, the disclosure of sensitive financial data could lead to the exposure of trade secrets and a potential loss of competitive advantage in the market.

Because the organization is based in Canada, this incident may be subject to regulatory scrutiny under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). The use of double extortion by the Qilin group—a tactic where attackers both encrypt data and threaten to leak it—may increase the risk of secondary attacks once the data is officially published.

Qilin is recognized as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group that has been active since 2022 and is known to target a wide range of sectors. In such scenarios, organizations often face the challenge of managing both technical recovery and the legal complexities of data privacy regulations. Defensive measures typically involve strengthening network segmentation, implementing robust access controls, and maintaining comprehensive monitoring to detect unauthorized exfiltration early in the attack lifecycle.