Red Hot Cyber
Cybersecurity is about sharing. Recognize the risk, combat it, share your experiences, and encourage others to do better than you.
Cybersecurity is about sharing. Recognize the risk,
combat it, share your experiences, and encourage others
to do better than you.
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Author: Pietro Melillo

Pietro Melillo

Head of the Dark Lab group. A Computer Engineer specialised in Cyber Security with a deep passion for Hacking and technology, currently CISO of WURTH Italia, he was responsible for Cyber Threat Intelligence & Dark Web analysis services at IBM, carries out research and teaching activities on Cyber Threat Intelligence topics at the University of Sannio, as a Ph.D, author of scientific papers and development of tools to support cybersecurity activities.
Leads the CTI Team "RHC DarkLab"

Profilo LinkedIn
Areas of Expertise Cyber Threat Intelligence, Ransomware, National Security, Training

Pietro Melillo is a cybersecurity professional with solid experience in Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), security governance, and advanced threat analysis. His background combines high-level operational roles, academic research, and technical dissemination, with a strong focus on understanding threat ecosystems and their impact on business.

Current Positions

  • Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) – Würth Italy: Responsible for defining and governing the enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy across multiple business entities. Oversees regulatory compliance, with a strong focus on the NIS2 Directive, and the adoption and continuous improvement of international standards such as ISO/IEC 27001. He also leads organization-wide initiatives in incident response, vulnerability management, security awareness, and AI governance, ensuring alignment between security controls, regulatory requirements, and business objectives.
  • PhD Researcher in Cyber Threat Intelligence – University of Sannio: Research activities focused on the ransomware ecosystem, dark web dynamics, and data-driven models for cyber threat analysis and prediction.
  • Director of the CTI Group “DarkLab” – Red Hot Cyber: Coordinates research, monitoring, and dissemination activities related to emerging threats, underground ecosystems, and the evolution of cybercrime.

Core Competencies

  • Cyber Threat Intelligence: advanced threat analysis, predictive models, and study of digital criminal ecosystems.
  • Security Governance & Compliance: integration of cybersecurity, regulatory frameworks, and business strategies (NIS2, ISO/IEC 27001).
  • Incident Response & Vulnerability Management: structured handling of security incidents and risk mitigation processes.
  • AI Governance & Security Awareness: governance models and awareness programs for emerging technologies.

Initiatives and Contributions

  • Academic teaching: lecturer and academic collaborator at several Italian universities, including the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the University of Sannio, delivering courses on CTI, dark web analysis, and cybercrime.
  • Applied research: development of studies and analyses based on empirical data and threat intelligence methodologies, with a strong focus on operational applicability.
  • Knowledge sharing: active contributor to Red Hot Cyber initiatives, supporting the dissemination of knowledge on emerging cyber threats.

Professional Vision

He advocates for an integrated approach to cybersecurity that combines research, operations, and governance, aiming to anticipate threats through data-driven analysis and a deep understanding of digital criminal ecosystems. His goal is to reduce decision-making uncertainty and enhance organizational resilience in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Web resources

Numero di articoli trovati: 123

Nike investigates alleged hack: “1.4 TB of data stolen”

Nike has launched an investigation following claims by the hacker group World Leaks that it had access to information stolen from its systems. "We always take customer privacy and data...

Telnet, the return of a ghost. A 2015 bug exploited in 2026: 800,000 devices at risk.

GNU InetUtils is a collection of network utilities (including telnet/telnetd, ftp/ftpd, rsh/rshd, ping, and traceroute) used by several Linux distributions. These tools can operate for extended periods without the need...

And let the phishing begin! Microsoft is taking action against a zero-day exploit already exploited in Office

Once again, Microsoft was forced to quickly fix some flaws. The company has released unscheduled patches for Microsoft Office, addressing a dangerous zero-day vulnerability that has already been exploited in...

LockBit 5.0 Ransomware: New Threats and Advanced Tactics

The LockBit group, which many had quickly dismissed after high-profile failures and leaks, unexpectedly returned to the scene. In the fall of 2025, it unveiled a new version of its...

Two Ukrainians Suspected in Black Basta Ransomware Attacks

When it comes to cybersecurity, it's not uncommon to come across news stories that seem straight out of a science fiction movie. Yet, the reality is even more surprising and...

Microsoft Patches Zero-Day NTFS Vulnerabilities in Windows 11 and Server

Microsoft released a security update in January that addresses two serious zero-day vulnerabilities in the NTFS file system. The vulnerabilities affected more than thirty versions of desktop and server operating...

LockBit 5.0 Ransomware: The Evolving Threat

Cybercrime continues to reinvent itself, and LockBit is one of the most prominent examples. Active since late 2019, the group has become one of the most prolific ransomware operators ever...

Phishing Emails Mimic Internal Comms via Microsoft 365 Spoofing

Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly insidious, to the point of perfectly mimicking internal corporate communications . This is the alarm raised by Microsoft, which has observed a significant increase in...

Zero-Day Exploits on the Rise: How to Protect Your Network

Until recently, zero-day vulnerabilities seemed like exotic artifacts from the world of special operations and espionage . Now they're a common tool for hacking corporate networks, and not just because...

Ransomware Attacks on the Rise: US Professionals Turn to Cybercrime

In the landscape of cybercrime investigations, some cases take on particular significance not only because of the extent of the financial damage, but also because of the profile of the...