About
Profile
Pietro Melillo, Ph.D. works in cybersecurity as a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Cyber Threat Intelligence specialist, and university lecturer.
I hold a Ph.D. in Information Technology for Engineering from the University of Sannio (2026), with a doctoral dissertation on the ransomware economy, and currently serve as Chief Information Security Officer for Würth Italia Group Entities. My work combines enterprise security leadership, threat intelligence operations, and empirical cybercrime research.
Focus & Areas of Expertise
Security Governance & Compliance
Cybersecurity strategy, multi-year security roadmaps, NIS2 readiness, ISO/IEC 27001, third-party and supply-chain risk, control maturity, and board/executive reporting.
AI Governance
EU AI Act alignment, AI risk classification, AI DPIA, third-party AI assessment, model monitoring, and secure enterprise adoption of generative AI.
Cyber Threat Intelligence & Dark Web
Threat actor profiling, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, Data Leak Site monitoring, infostealer and credential exposure analysis, OSINT/CLOSINT workflows, and IoC/IoA lifecycle management.
Ransomware Research
Empirical study of ransomware groups, Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) structures, extortion models, affiliate dynamics, and disclosure patterns.
Security Operations & Detection
SIEM integration (including IBM QRadar), correlation rules, threat hunting, alert triage, and incident response coordination.
Attack Surface & Vulnerability Mgmt
External exposure analysis, risk-based prioritization using business context, CVSS, and EPSS, and remediation tracking.
Teaching & Mentoring
University courses, professional training, thesis supervision, and security awareness for technical and executive audiences.
Doctoral Research & Academic Activity
I earned my Ph.D. in Information Technology for Engineering at the University of Sannio in 2026.
- Dissertation: Ecosystem Dynamics and Structural Resilience of the Ransomware Economy: A Longitudinal, Multi-Method Analysis of the Observable Disclosure Surface (2020–2025)
- Supervision: Prof. Corrado Aaron Visaggio (University of Foggia) and Prof. Andrea Di Sorbo (University of Sannio)
- Academic roles:
- Industry Lecturer, Master's in Cybersecurity and Privacy, University of Rome Tor Vergata (2023–Present)
- Cultore della materia and lecturer in Cyber Threat Intelligence, University of Sannio
- Thesis & Internship Supervisor with Würth Italia for students from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and the University of Trento
For details on publications, research lines, and courses, see Research, External Publications, and Teaching.
Experience
Chief Information Security Officer
Cybersecurity strategy, NIS2 readiness, GRC, AI governance, CTI-driven operations, vulnerability management, and secure digital transformation.
Cyber Security Instructor
Courses and hands-on labs on cybersecurity, Cyber Threat Intelligence, incident response, and offensive security fundamentals.
Cyber Security Architect & Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst
Cyber Threat Intelligence, IBM QRadar SIEM, dark web analysis, IoC enrichment, detection engineering, and contributions to IBM X-Force Exchange.
Cyber Security Engineer & SOC Analyst
SOC operations, security monitoring, threat hunting, and incident response.
Community & Recognition
- Head of DarkLab (Red Hot Cyber): Leads DarkLab, the Cyber Threat Intelligence team of Red Hot Cyber focused on dark web monitoring, threat actor tracking, and public dissemination (Author profile · DarkLab announcement · DarkLab LinkedIn).
- Cyber Mentor (Digital Club): Contributes to initiatives on cybersecurity leadership and CISO communication (Mentor profile).
- Certifications: CCISO, CTIA, ECIH, CEH (EC-Council), EC-Council Beta Tester, and IBM QRadar SIEM Foundation & Advanced. See Certifications.
- Award: CINI Smart City University Challenge (I-CiTies, 2020) with the City Shield project developed by the University of Sannio team (NetCom Group reference).