Author: Ayelen Torello

Ayelen Torello is an Adversary Research Engineer at AttackIQ where she creates adversary emulations to enable customers to test and validate their security controls. Ayelen has extensive experience in the CTI field and is a results-driven professional with a passion for malware analysis and conducting thorough investigations.

    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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    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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    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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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA25-239A): Countering Chinese State-Sponsored Actors Compromise of Networks Worldwide to Feed Global Espionage System

    September 4, 2025
    In response to the CISA Advisory (AA25-239A), AttackIQ has updated the assessment template that emulates the various post-compromise Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) associated with the Chinese adversary Salt Typhoon and released a new attack graph emulating the behaviors exhibited during the SparrowDoor and ShadowPad campaign in March 2025.
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    Emulating the Unyielding Scattered Spider

    May 29, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new assessment template that contains a curated list of Tools and Malware samples associated with Scattered Spider to help defenders improve their security posture against this sophisticated and persistent threat.
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA25-141A): Russian GRU Targeting Western Logistics Entities and Technology Companies

    May 21, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new assessment template in response to the CISA Advisory (AA25-141A) published on May 21, 2025. The CSA highlights a cyber espionage-oriented campaign carried out by cyber actors affiliated with the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) 85th Main Special Service Center (Unit 26165), targeting Western logistics entities and technology companies.
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    Emulating the Terrorizing VanHelsing Ransomware

    May 15, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph emulating the behaviors exhibited by VanHelsing ransomware, a new and rapidly growing ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) affiliate program that emerged in March 2025. This emulation enables defenders to test and validate their detection and response capabilities against this new threat.
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    Emulating the Stealthy StrelaStealer Malware

    April 17, 2025
    AttackIQ has released three new attack graphs designed to emulate the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) associated with StrelaStealer observed in its most recent activities, enabling defenders to test and validate their detection and response capabilities.
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    Emulating the Misleading CatB Ransomware

    April 9, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph designed to emulate the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) associated with CatB ransomware observed in its most recent activities, enabling defenders to test and validate their detection and response capabilities.
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA25-093A): Fast Flux: A National Security Threat

    April 3, 2025
    AttackIQ recommends that customers take the following testing actions in alignment with the recently published CISA Advisory (AA25-093A) which highlights the ongoing and evolving threat of fast flux techniques. These techniques are increasingly being adopted by a growing number of adversaries, making it critical for organizations to take proactive steps in mitigating this persistent threat.
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    Emulating the Sophisticated Russian Adversary Seashell Blizzard

    April 2, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new assessment template that emulates the various post-compromise Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) associated with the sabotage-motivated Russian adversary Seashell Blizzard.
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA25-071A): #StopRansomware: Medusa Ransomware

    March 13, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new assessment template in response to the CISA Advisory (AA25-071A) published on March 12, 2025, which details new behaviors exhibited by Medusa Ransomware.
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    Emulating the Relentless RansomHub Ransomware

    March 6, 2025
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph emulating the behaviors exhibited by RansomHub ransomware since its emergence in February 2024. This sophisticated ransomware employs double extortion techniques and shares notable similarities with Knight ransomware.
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    Updated Response to CISA Advisory (AA23-136A): #StopRansomware: BianLian Ransomware Group

    January 16, 2025
    AttackIQ has released an updated attack graph in response to the recently revised CISA Advisory (AA23-136A) that disseminates known BianLian ransomware group Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) identified through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) investigations.
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA24-326A): Enhancing Cyber Resilience: Insights from CISA Red Team Assessment of a US Critical Infrastructure Sector Organization

    November 22, 2024
    In response to the recently published CISA Advisory (AA24-326A) which highlights the CISA Red Team’s simulation of real-world malicious cyber operations, AttackIQ has provided actionable recommendations to help organizations emulate these attacks. These guidelines enable organizations to emulate tactics and techniques, helping to assess and improve their defenses against similar adversarial behaviors.
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    Emulating the Destructive WhisperGate Malware

    November 12, 2024
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph that seeks to emulate the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) associated with the destructive WhisperGate malware.
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    Emulating the Persistent and Stealthy Ebury Linux Malware

    September 12, 2024
    AttackIQ has released a new attack graph that seeks to emulate the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) associated with Ebury Linux malware. Despite previous arrests and actions against key perpetrators, Ebury continues to evolve, and its operations remain active.
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA24-241A): Iran-based Cyber Actors Enabling Ransomware Attacks on US Organizations

    August 29, 2024
    AttackIQ has released a new assessment template in response to the CISA Advisory (AA24-241A) published on August 28, 2024. The advisory outlines espionage activity associated with a specific group of Iranian cyber actors that have conducted a high volume of intrusion attempts against US organizations since 2017 and as recently as August 2024
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    Response to CISA Advisory (AA24-193A): CISA Red Team’s Operations Against a Federal Civilian Executive Branch Organization Highlights the Necessity of Defense-in-Depth

    July 15, 2024
    AttackIQ has released two new assessment templates in response to the CISA Advisory (AA24-193A) published on July 11, 2024, that disseminates Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), mitigation and detection methods associated with SILENTSHIELD red team assessment carried out by CISA against a Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) organization.
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    Emulating the Notorious Chinese State-Sponsored Winnti Group

    June 20, 2024
    AttackIQ has released three new attack graphs that seek to emulate the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) associated with and exhibited by the stealthy and notorious Winnti Group during its activities in 2021 and 2022.
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