AttackIQ Blog

    Why I Chose to Join AttackIQ as a Senior Advisor

    February 18, 2026
    After 30 years in cyber defense and research, I joined AttackIQ to bring clarity and prioritize what truly matters in security.
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    Evergreen Phishing Defense: Automated Weekly Security Validation

    February 9, 2026
    What if your phishing tests updated themselves every week? Learn how real phishing campaigns are automatically transformed into continuous email and endpoint validation—at scale.
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    Emulating the Elusive Cephalus Ransomware

    February 5, 2026
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph that emulates the behaviors of Cephalus ransomware, a Go-based strain active since June 2025 that combines defense-evasion and anti-analysis techniques, such as secure memory handling and tampering with Windows Defender, to enable stealthy targeted operations prior to encryption and extortion.
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    Reimagining Security Operations

    February 3, 2026
    AttackIQ and Accenture are reimagining security operations through threat-informed defense. By combining adversarial testing, AI-driven validation, and SOC modernization services, organizations gain continuous, evidence-based insight into defensive effectiveness.
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    25 New Adversary Emulation Packages Covering Ransomware and Advisory-Driven Threats

    January 21, 2026
    Effective defense depends on understanding how adversaries operate across complete intrusion chains, not just whether individual controls trigger.
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    Emulating the Elegant BlackSuit Ransomware

    January 20, 2026
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph that emulates the behaviors exhibited by BlackSuit ransomware, a ransomware strain that has been active since at least May 2023. It represents the evolution of the ransomware previously identified as Royal ransomware, which was active from approximately September 2022 through June 2023.
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    Turning Threat Intelligence Into Proof: 2025 Year in Review

    January 15, 2026
    In 2025, threat intelligence mattered only when it drove action. AttackIQ’s Adversary Research Team focused on turning real adversary behavior into fast, practical validation, helping defenders continuously test readiness against the threats that mattered most.
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    INFORM 2026: MITRE’s Updated Threat-Informed Defense Maturity Model Explained

    January 9, 2026
    On January 8th, MITRE’s Center for Threat-Informed Defense (CTID) published a significant update to INFORM, its threat-informed defense maturity model. This update reflects the joint efforts of MITRE researchers, AttackIQ, and several CTID members to enhance INFORM based on two years of operational use and broad security community feedback.
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    React2Shell (CVE-2025-55182): Critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) in React Server Components

    December 18, 2025
    AttackIQ released a new assessment template that compiles the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) associated with the exploitation of the critical CVE-2025-55182 (React2Shell) Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting React Server Components.
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    Ransom Tales: Volume VI — Throwback Edition! Emulating Ryuk, Conti, and BlackCat Ransomware

    December 11, 2025
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA25-343A): Pro-Russia Hacktivists Conduct Opportunistic Attacks Against US and Global Critical Infrastructure

    December 10, 2025
    AttackIQ has issued recommendations in response to the Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) released by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on December 9, 2025, which details the ongoing targeting of critical infrastructure by pro-Russia hacktivists.
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    Revisiting the Versatile Qilin Ransomware

    November 19, 2025
    AttackIQ has released an updated attack graph in response to emerging threat intelligence associated with the deployment of Qilin ransomware, a ransomware strain that first appeared in July 2022 and remains one of the most active ransomware families today. This update includes new behaviors related to the operators of the Qilin ransomware, which have been identified as recently as October 2025.
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    Updated Response to CISA Advisory (AA24-109A): Akira Ransomware

    November 18, 2025
    AttackIQ has released an updated attack graph in response to the recently revised CISA Advisory (AA24-109A) which disseminates Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) associated with the Akira ransomware group, identified through FBI investigations as recently as November 2025.
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    Emulating the Destructive Sandworm Adversary

    November 14, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new assessment template designed to emulate the various post-compromise Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) associated with a recent intrusion targeting Ukrainian organizations that aligns with patterns previously associated with Sandworm. While attribution remains unconfirmed, this assessment helps defenders improve their security posture against similarly sophisticated and persistent threats.
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    Emulating the Espionage-Oriented Group SideWinder

    November 13, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph that emulates the behaviors exhibited by SideWinder, a threat actor with a long history of cyber espionage dating back to 2012. The group has primarily targeted government, military, and maritime sectors across South Asia and nearby regions through sophisticated spear-phishing campaigns, exploitation of Microsoft Office vulnerabilities, and the deployment of StealerBot, a memory-resident backdoor.
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    Ransom Tales: Volume V — Throwback Edition! Emulating REvil, DarkSide, and BlackMatter Ransomware

    November 6, 2025
    AttackIQ presents the fifth volume of Ransom Tales, an initiative focused on emulating the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) exhibited by sophisticated and prominent ransomware families with the objective of empowering defenders to rigorously challenge their security controls and enhance resilience against disruptive and extortive threats. In this release, AttackIQ revisits historical ransomware operations with the introduction of three new attack graphs that emulate the operational behaviors exhibited by the REvil, DarkSide, and BlackMatter ransomware families.
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    Keeping Up with Cloud Security: Updates to Our AWS Assessments

    October 23, 2025
    AttackIQ has enhanced and expanded two AWS security assessments, by introducing nine new scenarios that emulate real-world techniques and tactics that could be used by threat actors to compromise AWS cloud environments. These updates are designed to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of your AWS cloud security posture by covering a broader range of attack vectors and misconfigurations.
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    Emulating the Prominent Global Group Ransomware

    October 16, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph that emulates the behaviors exhibited by Global Group ransomware, a threat that first appeared in June 2025 and quickly became notorious across the security landscape. The group has primarily targeted high-impact sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services, where operational downtime can cause severe disruption.
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    Mission. Impact. Opportunity.

    October 14, 2025
    After 23 years at MITRE leading the charge on threat-informed defense, Jon Baker joined AttackIQ to turn innovation into real-world security impact.
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    Response to Oracle Security Alert Advisory: Oracle E-Business Suite Pre-Auth RCE (CVE-2025-61882)

    October 9, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new emulation in response to the Oracle Security Alert Advisory detailing the CVE-2025-61882 vulnerability, which impacts Oracle E-Business Suite versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.14.
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    Emulating the Versatile Qilin Ransomware

    October 2, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph that emulates the behaviors exhibited by Qilin ransomware, a threat that first appeared in July 2022 and remains one of the most active families today. Qilin primarily targets the healthcare, government, education, manufacturing, and finance sectors, and has evolved to operate across multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, and ESXi.
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    Ransom Tales: Volume IV – Emulating Rhysida, Charon and Dire Wolf Ransomware

    September 25, 2025
    AttackIQ presents the fourth volume of Ransom Tales, an initiative focused on emulating the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) exhibited by sophisticated and prominent ransomware families with the objective of empowering defenders to rigorously challenge their security controls and enhance resilience against disruptive and extortive threats. In this release, AttackIQ presents three new attack graphs that emulate the behaviors exhibited by the Rhysida, Charon, and Dire Wolf ransomware families.
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA25-266A): CISA Shares Lessons Learned from an Incident Response Engagement

    September 24, 2025
    AttackIQ has released two new assessment templates in response to the CISA Advisory (AA25-266A) published on September 23, 2025. The CSA highlights the lessons learned from an incident response engagement CISA conducted at a U.S. federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agency to help effectively mitigate risk, prepare for, and respond to incidents.
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    The Evolution of RomCom: From Backdoor to Cyberwar 

    September 23, 2025
    AttackIQ research exposes RomCom’s espionage-to-ransomware convergence and provides 7 emulations to harden detection and response.
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