What Cobb County’s Breach Means for Every Small Business

In early May 2025, Cobb County made headlines—not for politics, parks, or policies, but for something much darker: a ransomware attack that led to the public leak of sensitive personal data. After refusing to pay the ransom, the county confirmed that files—including Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, and even autopsy photos—were published on the dark web. 

The hacker group responsible, Qilin, is no small-time operation. They’ve targeted governments and businesses worldwide. But here’s the takeaway for every small business: 

If they can hit Cobb County, they can hit you.  

What This Teaches Us About Cyber Risk 

This breach isn’t just a government problem. It’s a wake-up call for businesses that still think, “We’re too small to be targeted.” 

In 2025, the cybercrime playbook has changed. Threat actors are: 

• Targeting supply chains and public infrastructure 
• Using AI to craft hyper-personalized phishing messages 
• Selling stolen data in layers, not just once 
• Exploiting basic misconfigurations in email, DNS, and outdated software 

Even worse? Many victims don’t know they’ve been breached—until customer data starts showing up online.  

Why Refusing to Pay Ransoms Isn’t Enough 

Cobb County’s decision not to pay the ransom was morally strong—but technically risky. While it avoided funding a criminal enterprise, it also highlighted the real-world consequences of unpreparedness: 

• The breach still happened 
• The data still leaked 
• The trust was still damaged 

For small businesses, there’s rarely a public relations team or government-provided credit monitoring to fall back on. A breach could mean lawsuits, lost customers, or even business closure. 

Proactive Security > Reactive Recovery 

Incidents like this reinforce a critical truth: You can’t wait until after the hack to get serious about cybersecurity. 
Prevention doesn’t just protect data—it protects your time, your reputation, and your ability to operate. 

That’s where Managed Nerds comes in. 

How Managed Nerds Helps Small Businesses Fight Back 

Managed Nerds work with local and small businesses to implement enterprise-grade protection without enterprise costs. 

Here’s how we help you stay ahead of threats like this: 

✔AI-Enhanced Cybersecurity 

We use AI to monitor, detect, and respond to suspicious behavior—before it becomes a full-scale breach. 

✔Security Awareness & AI Training 

We train your team to recognize phishing, deepfakes, and spoofing attempts—and teach you how to use AI safely, too. 

✔Recovery & Response Plans 

We help you build a plan before disaster strikes, so if the worst happens, you're not scrambling. 

✔Software & Protection Bundles 

Our software packages keep your devices, email, and data secured and updated with minimal hassle—and without needing a full IT department. 

✉Got questions or feel exposed after reading this? 

Don’t wait until your business is in the headlines. 
Reach out today on our website to talk to a team that treats your business like it matters—because it does.