01
Threat research
Cyber threat intelligenceThreat-actor & TTP analysisVulnerability researchAdversary emulationMalware behavior analysisThreat-informed detection
Threat Research · Attack Paths · Identity Security · Detection Engineering
Lead Threat Research Engineer | Cybersecurity Researcher
Turning fragmented security signals into attack paths teams can act on.
I am a cybersecurity researcher with more than 10 years of experience across threat research, detection engineering, threat intelligence, exposure management, identity security, security operations, and incident response.
CONCEPTUAL PATH / 01
DEFENDER VIEWFrom isolated findings to connected risk
01ENTRY POINTExternal
ExposureRisk signal
ExposureRisk signal
02ASSETCloud
WorkloadReachable
WorkloadReachable
03RELATIONSHIPIdentity
PivotPrivilege path
PivotPrivilege path
04IMPACTCritical
AssetBusiness context
AssetBusiness context
VALIDATED CONTROLProtection active
Exposure / risk Asset / relationship Defensive control
01 / About
Connecting research, engineering, and real-world defense
My career has progressed from enterprise security operations and incident response to endpoint threat research and security-product research. Today, my work focuses on understanding how vulnerabilities, identities, assets, network relationships, threat intelligence, and defensive controls combine to create—or interrupt—real attack paths.
I enjoy working on problems where security research must become something practical: a detection, a data model, a validation method, a product capability, or a clear decision for defenders.
ABHINAV PALIWAL · CYBERSECURITY RESEARCHER
10+Years in cybersecurity
R · E · OResearch, engineering & operations
4×Endpoint, identity, cloud & enterprise
02 / Areas of expertise
Depth across the modern security stack
No arbitrary percentages—just the disciplines I research, build, and connect.
01
Threat research
02
Exposure & attack paths
03
Identity & cloud security
04
Detection & response
05
Security engineering
03 / Selected work
Research that turns signals into decisions
Public high-level research summaries. Current product work is intentionally described without confidential implementation detail.
PROJECT THEME / 01
Exposure & attack-path research
Researching how vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, identities, reachability, privileges, and critical assets combine into meaningful attack paths—helping teams move from isolated findings to connected risk.
PUBLIC HIGH-LEVEL SUMMARYPROJECT THEME / 02
Attack Path as Intelligence
Exploring ways to translate threat-actor behavior, vulnerabilities, and MITRE ATT&CK techniques into environment-relevant scenarios that defenders can investigate and prioritize.
PUBLIC HIGH-LEVEL SUMMARYPROJECT THEME / 03
Identity security
Researching human and non-human identity exposure, including identity-to-asset relationships, privilege paths, ownership, authentication context, and certificate-based identities.
PUBLIC HIGH-LEVEL SUMMARYPROJECT THEME / 04
Control-aware risk
Studying how endpoint, network, cloud, identity, and application-security controls influence whether an exposure is exploitable, detectable, preventable, or mitigated.
PUBLIC HIGH-LEVEL SUMMARYPROJECT THEME / 05
Security data integration
Connecting asset, vulnerability, cloud, endpoint, identity, and control telemetry through consistent data models that support correlation and prioritization.
PUBLIC HIGH-LEVEL SUMMARYPROJECT THEME / 06
Detection validation
Using threat research, adversary emulation, ATT&CK mapping, and product evaluation to identify detection gaps and improve prevention and response effectiveness.
PUBLIC HIGH-LEVEL SUMMARY04 / Career journey
From security operations to product research
A decade-long progression across enterprise defense, endpoint research, and connected-risk innovation.
May 2024 — Present
01
Qualys
NOWLead Threat Research Engineer
Contributing threat-research expertise to enterprise exposure management, identity security, threat intelligence, detection research, and attack-path capabilities. The work connects real-world attacker behavior with security data, product research, correlation models, and validation approaches.
October 2021 — May 2024
02
VMware
Senior Threat Research Engineer
Conducted threat and vulnerability research for endpoint detection and prevention capabilities. Developed and refined detection logic, performed adversary emulation and gap analysis, supported MITRE ATT&CK evaluations, and researched emerging threats and zero-day exploitation.
March 2018 — October 2021
03
Crane Co.
Lead Security Analyst
Supported global security operations across incident response, endpoint and email security, threat hunting, SIEM, SOAR automation, security-process development, and evaluation of new defensive technologies.
August 2015 — March 2018
04
Atos
Security Analyst
Worked across security monitoring, network and endpoint protection, vulnerability management, security investigations, IDS/IPS operations, incident handling, and coordination with enterprise infrastructure teams.
05 / Research & publications
Writing for defenders and builders
Research on evolving adversary behavior, connected risk, and practical defensive action.
01
Medium
Mapping the Breach: The Shift to Cloud Attack Path Analysis
An exploration of why cloud security must move beyond isolated findings and toward relationship-aware attack-path analysis.
Opens in a new tab
02
Qualys Threat Research
Black Basta Ransomware: Tactics and Prevention
Research covering Black Basta’s behavior, attack lifecycle, tactics, and practical defensive considerations.
Opens in a new tab
06 / Credentials & recognition
Continuous learning, grounded recognition
Selected certifications and professional training.
Microsoft Certified
Azure Security Engineer Associate
EC-Council
Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst
EC-Council
Certified Ethical Hacker
Foundation
IT Service Management
Proofpoint
Email & Information Protection
Carbon Black
Protection Administration
Platform & Analyst
Professional Certifications
Fortinet
Network Security Expert 1 & 2
RECOGNITION / 2025
02Second place, Qualys Innovation Odyssey
Recognized for a hybrid security attack-path concept connecting multiple defensive domains.
Certificate of Excellence
Recognition for initiative, process creation, documentation, and knowledge enablement.
Executive appreciation
For investigation of a significant email-compromise incident.
EDUCATION
2015
PG Diploma in IT Infrastructure, Systems and Security
CDAC ACTS, Pune
2014
Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology
Acropolis Institute of Technology and Research
07 / Contact
Let's connect.
I'm always interested in thoughtful conversations around threat research, attack paths, exposure management, identity security, detection engineering, and the future of security products.