Think Like an Attacker: Creative Testing for Real Resilience

In this episode of Cyber Insiders, Cian Heasley, Threat Lead at Adarma, shares his insight into how rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are influencing cyber activity. He breaks down the role of hacktivists, the potential involvement of state-aligned actors, and the implications for UK-based organisations and Critical National Infrastructure. Content Note:This episode was recorded before the latest developments involving US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict (21/6/25). These insights reflect the cyber threat landscape prior to this latest development.

In this episode of Cyber Insiders Jamie McCallion, Partner & Technical Manager at Splunk joins us to explore how cybersecurity teams can turn data overload into actionable insight. She shares advice on spotting data blind spots, getting more from the data you already have, and avoiding common mistakes with log management. Jamie also talks data ownership, AI misconceptions, and what to look for in a cybersecurity partner. 

In this episode of Cyber Insiders, Cian Heasley, Threat Lead at Adarma, walks us through our Incident Response team's investigation into the exploitation of Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) by UNC5221, a threat group linked to the Chinese state. Cian breaks down how the attackers chained CVE-2025-4427 and CVE-2025-4428 to gain unauthenticated remote code execution, what tools and techniques they used, and explains why this campaign shows signs of strategic pre-positioning. 

In this episode of Cyber Insiders, we sit down with Leanne Salisbury, Principal Consultant at Adarma, to explore how creative cybersecurity testing can help organisations go beyond compliance and surface real, impactful insights. Leanne shares how businesses can shift their mindset by thinking like an attacker, designing realistic and imaginative test scenarios, and using threat intelligence to uncover hidden vulnerabilities. 

In this episode of Cyber Insiders, Cian Heasley, Threat Lead at Adarma, breaks down the rise of DragonForce — a ransomware group linked to recent attacks on major UK retailers. He explores their tools, tactics, and growing influence in the Ransomware-as-a-Service scene, along with steps organisations can take to prepare and defend against them.

In this episode of Cyber Insiders, Cian Heasley, Threat Lead at Adarma, explores the rise of Scattered Spider — a fast-moving cyber threat group linked to the high-profile ransomware attack on UK retailer, Marks and Spencer. He breaks down their social engineering tactics, SIM swapping techniques, and affiliate partnerships. The discussion also covers how organisations can adapt their defences and how Adarma is supporting customers in responding to this evolving threat. 

In this episode of Cyber Insiders, Laura Ingram, Managing Consultant at Adarma, shares her firsthand experience during a major ransomware attack. She explores the initial response, the importance of establishing command, team dynamics, and strategies for containment and recovery. Laura highlights the significance of morale, communication, and preparation in reducing the impact of cyber incidents. The discussion also underscores the need for employee education and the development of a cyber resilience roadmap to help prevent future attacks.

Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) is making it easier than ever for attackers to launch sophisticated phishing campaigns. In this episode of Cyber Insiders, Adarma’s Threat Intelligence Specialist Alison Frost explores how PhaaS works, the groups behind it, and how organisations can defend against evolving phishing threats.Listen now to stay ahead of the latest cybercrime tactics.

Chinese state-sponsored threat actor Salt Typhoon has been quietly infiltrating global telecommunications networks for years. But how do they gain access, and why are they so difficult to remove once inside? In our latest episode of Cyber Insiders, Cian Heasley, Threat Lead at Adarma shares his insights on this sophisticated threat actor.

In this episode of Cyber Insiders, Liz Banbury, Chief Information Security Officer at Thames Water, discusses the unique cybersecurity challenges of protecting critical national infrastructure, especially within the water sector. She also shares her insights on effective stakeholder management, building a security culture, and implementing robust cybersecurity strategies in large, complex organisations.