Canonical writing catalogue · Guides and articles

Security Research Library

The complete writing catalogue across CTI tradecraft, detection engineering, threat hunting, malware analysis, network security, offensive labs, and AI security. Historical version-specific material is labelled in context.

CTI & Threat Intelligence

11 guides
AI in Cyberattacks: A Statistical CTI Study of 111 Publications

Evidence-bounded analysis of a 111-publication corpus with a 103-publication primary denominator, 31 visualizations, an interactive dashboard, reproducible normalized data, and a searchable 108-source reference index.

CTI researchstatisticsAI securitydashboard
Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) Field Guide

A structured, 10-module CTI course with 69 defined terms — the intelligence cycle, ATT&CK, the Diamond Model, tradecraft, actor tracking, and how CTI feeds detection engineering — each linked to AdversaryGraph and Threat Matrix where relevant.

CTIfield guideglossaryCyber Knowledge
From Log to Report: Using AdversaryGraph to Turn Firewall and EDR Noise Into a CTI Investigation

AdversaryGraph workflow: synthetic firewall and EDR logs, AI log analysis, IOC extraction, Tier 1/Tier 2/Tier 3 enrichment, relationship graph review, Investigation workspace evidence, ATT&CK leads, and AI-assisted report generation.

AdversaryGraphIOC investigationAI log analysisUse cases
AdversaryGraph v4 Malware Analysis: MalwareGraph-backed Static, Debug, and Dynamic Workflow

Official v4 guide for the Malware Analysis module: controlled sample intake, hash/feed checks, static triage, string and IOC/TTP extraction, unpacking, decompilation/debug IDE, AI summaries, clickable pivots, and gated dynamic workflow categories.

AdversaryGraphMalwareGraphmalware analysisPlatform guide
Historical AdversaryGraph v4 Capability Map

Version-specific local mirror of the AdversaryGraph v4 article, retained for historical context. It is not current v6 documentation; use the linked platform documentation for current behavior.

AdversaryGraphAI CTISTIXUse cases
CTI as a Code — Complete Step-by-Step Methodology

Version-controlled CTI methodology: reactive and proactive investigation workflows, evidence-traced claims, ATT&CK gap classification, and Sigma rule derivation from incident TTPs.

methodologyreactiveSigma
CTI as a Code in Practice — LifeTech Pharma Reactive Investigation

Worked case study: AiTM credential theft, DCSync, 381 MB pharmaceutical IP exfiltration, 0/12 detection coverage. Full VS Code investigation walkthrough with real RBQL queries and Cobalt Strike sandbox analysis.

case studyDCSyncCobalt Strike
CTI Analyst Field Manual — Complete Reference

Full tradecraft reference: evidence labeling, source reliability, confidence tiering, attribution methodology, infrastructure pivoting, detection candidate mapping.

CTItradecraft
CTI Kill Chain: An Analyst Guide With Real-World Evidence

Applying kill chain analysis to real adversary behavior; evidence labeling at each stage with worked examples.

CTIkill chain
From Threat Intelligence to Detection: A Practitioner's Guide

End-to-end workflow: actor assessment → TTP extraction → detection candidate → hunting hypothesis → backlog item.

CTIdetection
Applying Sherman Kent's Analytic Discipline to CTI: A Practical Analyst Guide

Structured analytic judgment: words of estimative probability, source critique, and bias mitigation in CTI production.

CTIanalytics
ATT&CK as a Working Tool: Theory and Hands-On Practical Usage

Moving beyond the matrix: technique selection, sub-technique context, Navigator usage, and detection hypothesis construction.

CTIATT&CK
Tools by MITRE ATT&CK Guide

Tool-to-technique mapping reference: which adversary tools map to which ATT&CK techniques and why.

CTIATT&CK
Customer-Driven AI CTI Project Template — Phase-by-Phase Execution Guide

Scoping, collection, analysis, delivery, and feedback loop for a structured client-facing CTI engagement.

CTIAI

Detection & SOC

3 guides
Newest Detection Engineering Techniques: From Rules to Validated Security Telemetry

Local ecosystem page for the Medium article: telemetry-first detection engineering, detection-as-code validation, stateful correlation, risk scoring, identity/session abuse, cloud/SaaS data-plane coverage, CI/CD security, eBPF runtime telemetry, OCSF/data-lake content, and LLM/agent workflow detection.

detectionvalidationAI-era telemetry
SOC Tier 1: The Complete Onboarding Guide to Security Monitoring and Incident Response

Alert triage, escalation criteria, SIEM query patterns, and analyst workflow for Tier 1 analysts.

SOCSIEM
Detecting Malicious Insider Activity: A Technical Detection Engineering Guide

Behavioral detection: data staging, exfiltration patterns, access anomaly queries, and Sigma rule construction.

detectionSigma

Network Reconnaissance

9 guides
Strings Analysis for Malware Analysis: Turning Binary Text into Defensible Hypotheses

Evidence-first extraction, categorization, decoding, cross-references, IOC provenance, defender outputs, and AIDebug String Intelligence.

malware analysisstringsstatic analysisAIDebug
Mastering Nmap: Part 1 — Host Discovery & Port Scanning

Scan types, timing templates, OS detection, and output formats.

Nmaprecon
Mastering Nmap: Part 2 — Service Detection & Version Scanning

Banner grabbing, version detection flags, and service fingerprinting.

Nmaprecon
Mastering Nmap: Part 3 — Firewall Evasion & Spoofing

Fragmentation, decoy scans, timing evasion, and source routing.

Nmapevasion
Mastering Nmap: Part 4 — NSE Scripts

NSE categories, writing scripts, vuln detection, and automation.

NmapNSE
Shodan: Guide to Finding Everything

Shodan search operators, filters, API usage, and OSINT pivoting from exposed services.

ShodanOSINT
SpiderFoot Deep Dive: Installation, Scans, and Practical Use Cases

OSINT automation: module configuration, scan profiles, and result analysis.

SpiderFootOSINT
OWASP Amass Project Guide

Subdomain enumeration, ASN mapping, and infrastructure graphing with Amass.

AmassOSINT
Protocol-Level Network Threat Hunting: A Wireshark-Centric Guide

PCAP-based hunting: protocol anomalies, C2 traffic patterns, beaconing detection, and display filters.

Wiresharkhunting

Web Application Security

3 guides
OWASP ZAP: A Comprehensive Guide to Web Application Security Testing

Spider, active scan, passive scan, authentication handling, and report generation.

ZAPweb
Cracking Web Interfaces with Burp Suite: A Comprehensive Tutorial

Intercepting proxies, intruder brute-force, repeater, and login form attacking.

Burp Suiteweb
SQLMap: A Deep Dive into Automated SQL Injection Testing — Part 2 (Advanced)

Tamper scripts, WAF bypass, blind injection techniques, and database enumeration.

SQLMapSQLi

Password Attacks

9 guides
Mastering Hydra: The Ultimate Guide to Network Logon Cracking

Protocol modules (SSH, FTP, HTTP, SMB), wordlist selection, rate limiting, and success detection.

brute-forceHydra
Mastering John the Ripper: A Complete Guide to Password Cracking

Hash identification, wordlist + rule attacks, incremental mode, and format specification.

crackingJohn
Personal Pass Generator (PPG): The Ultimate Tool for Custom Password Lists

Target-aware wordlist generation using personal data, leet transforms, and pattern rules. Open-source PPG tool.

wordlistPPG
Accessing Remote Desktops: A Beginner's Guide to RDP Cracking with Crowbar and PPG

RDP brute-force with Crowbar: target specification, threading, and credential handling.

RDPCrowbar
Cracking SSH with Metasploit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Exploiting Weak Credentials

SSH login scanner module, wordlist configuration, and session handling.

SSHMetasploit
Office File Password Cracking: Guide with Real-Life Examples

hashcat + John workflows for DOC/DOCX/PPT/XLSX with real samples.

crackingOffice
PDF File Password Cracking: Guide with Real-Life Examples

PDF hash extraction (pdf2john) and cracking with rule-based attacks.

crackingPDF
ZIP File Password Cracking: Guide with Real-Life Examples

zip2john, hashcat modes, and practical wordlist strategies for encrypted archives.

crackingZIP
Cracking RTSP Security: A Comprehensive Guide to Using the RTSP Brute Force Tool

IP camera stream brute-forcing with the RTSP-brute-force tool.

RTSPcameras

Exploitation & Metasploit

4 guides
The Ultimate Guide to Metasploit — Part 1

Architecture, db_nmap integration, workspace management, and module selection fundamentals.

Metasploitexploitation
Metasploit Modules Guide — Auxiliary

Scanner, sniffer, and fuzzer auxiliaries: configuration, RHOSTS, THREADS, and output handling.

Metasploitauxiliary
Metasploit Modules Guide — Exploit

Exploit + payload selection, target configuration, check command, and post-exploitation.

Metasploitpayload
Enhancing Penetration Testing with HackerAI: Step-by-Step Guide

AI-assisted recon and exploitation walkthrough against a Metasploitable lab.

AIexploitation

AI-Driven Pentesting

2 guides
The Complete Guide to AI-Driven Penetration Testing: Cursor, MCP, and the Modern PT Workflow

Autonomous PT with Cursor AI + MCP servers: recon → exploitation → reporting workflow.

AIMCPCursor
AI Offensive Security: Practical Attacks Against LLM Agents

Prompt injection, indirect injection, goal hijacking, and exfiltration techniques against real LLM agent architectures.

AI securityLLM attacks

Malware Analysis

9 guides
AIDebug 3.1 Full Release Review: From Binary Intake to String Intelligence

Complete evidence-first workflow covering file identification, PE and ELF triage, functions, control flow, String Intelligence, Ghidra, optional AI review, controlled debugging, history, and reports.

malware analysisreverse engineeringstring analysisAIDebug
PE File Structure for Malware Analysis: A Practical Guide

Headers, sections, RVA mapping, imports, exports, resources, relocations, TLS, mitigations, signatures, .NET metadata, and AIDebug evidence.

malware analysisPE formatWindows internalsAIDebug
Assembly for Malware Analysis: A Practical x86/x64 Guide

Registers, memory, flags, calling conventions, control-flow recovery, Windows API behavior, and real AIDebug exercises.

malware analysisassemblyreverse engineeringAIDebug
How to Build a Safe Malware Analysis Lab with FLARE-VM, REMnux, and INetSim

Two-VM lab architecture, VMware isolation, FLARE-VM deployment, REMnux networking, INetSim services, snapshots, and readiness validation.

malware analysislabFLARE-VMREMnux
PE Import Analyzer: A Practical Guide for Malware Analysts and Reverse Engineers

LIEF-based import triage, risk classification workflow, and JSON output integration.

malwarePE analysis
A Practical Guide to String Analyzer

Binary string extraction, IOC identification, entropy filtering, and structured output.

malwarestrings
Unpacker: A Practical Guide to Modular Malware Packer Detection and Unpacking

Packer identification with DIE, unpac.me integration, and de4dot deobfuscation workflow.

malwareunpacking
Android Malware Analysis: A Practical Guide for Security Analysts

APK static analysis: manifest review, permission analysis, DEX inspection, and IOC extraction.

malwareAndroid
Android APK Vulnerability Research Complete Guide

Full APK assessment workflow: static triage → dynamic analysis → YARA → ATT&CK mapping → report.

malwareAndroidYARA

Cloud, Kubernetes & Active Directory

6 guides
GCP Penetration Testing: A Step-by-Step Attack Guide

GCP attack path: service account privilege escalation, metadata server abuse, and CloudTrail detection.

cloudGCP
A Complete Cloud Penetration Testing Walkthrough

End-to-end cloud PT on the vulnerable-cloud-lab: initial access → lateral movement → exfil.

cloudAWSGCP
Kubernetes Logging and Monitoring: Complete Guide

Log collection, audit policy, Fluent Bit pipelines, and detection rule integration for K8s.

Kubernetesdetection
ADCS ESC8 Attack: Certificate-Based Domain Compromise — Complete Guide

NTLM relay to ADCS, ESC8 exploitation, certificate request, and Pass-the-Certificate.

ADADCSESC8
Active Directory Lab for PenTest — Manual Deployment Guide

Step-by-step AD domain setup with GPO misconfigurations, Kerberoasting targets, and AS-REP roasting.

ADKerberos
CVSS v4.0: The Practical Field Guide for Vulnerability Management

CVSS-BTE scoring, environmental modifier impact, CISA KEV integration, and prioritization workflow.

CVSSvuln mgmt

AI Security

Field guide and applied ecosystem
AI Security Field Guide

A 14-module practitioner path spanning AI threat modeling, training and retrieval data, model supply chains, prompt injection, privacy, agents and MCP, identity, infrastructure, adversarial testing, detection, incident response, governance, and secure production delivery.

AI security14 modulesRAG & MCPCyber Knowledge
AdversaryGraph Unified RAG and MCP

Applied architecture for source-linked intelligence retrieval, vector search, MCP tools, provider policy, analyst review, and evidence-preserving AI assistance.

AdversaryGraphRAGMCP
AI in Offensive Security

Authorized offensive workflows, prompt and tool abuse, local-model use, human review, and reproducible laboratory evidence.

offensiveAIlabs
HexStrike AI Guide

MCP-connected security testing, tool orchestration boundaries, controlled execution, and practical validation in authorized environments.

HexStrikeMCPAI labs