About TRU Security

Nick Grebennikoff is the Chief Development Officer at Acronis. He is a well-known information technology leader with extensive practical experience in both operational and strategic management.

Gerald Beuchelt is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Acronis, bringing decades of experience in information security, privacy, and compliance. Known for his ability to lead cross-functional teams and design cost-effective security programs, Gerald has an impressive track record of managing complex cybersecurity challenges and enhancing organizational resilience.

Alexander joined Acronis in 2016 as Global Director, Product and Technology Positioning. At this role Alexander is directly involved into all product launches in terms of messaging, go-to-market strategy and overall positioning including partner relations.

Jozsef Gegeny is a system programmer with a deep-rooted fascination for computer viruses — an interest that began when his first PC was infected. That early experience set the direction of his career. He began his career in 2005 at a small antivirus company, where he spent three years analyzing malware behavior and learning the inner workings of malicious software. After gaining a strong foundation, Jozsef sought out new challenges and international experience, working at larger companies in Spain and Ireland. These roles broadened his technical exposure and helped him develop a solid understanding of low-level systems, software internals and the broader cybersecurity landscape. Over the years, he has built extensive expertise in reverse engineering, debugging and static code analysis. Jozsef has always been driven by curiosity — disassembling binaries, analyzing threats and understanding how things work under the hood. He joined Acronis in 2024, where he continues to grow as part of a talented security team.

Prakas Thevendaran is a Cybersecurity Researcher at Acronis, focusing on automation, behavioral and static rule development, and malware analysis. Since joining Acronis in 2022, he has been dedicated to continuously strengthening threat detection capabilities through research and tooling. Before Acronis, Prakas was a malware analyst specializing in crafting behavioral rules for a malware analysis sandbox product. With more than nine years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, he is particularly passionate about reverse engineering and understanding threats at a deeper level.

Santiago Pontiroli is a cybersecurity expert leading threat intelligence efforts at Acronis as part of the Acronis Threat Research Unit (TRU). He specializes in analyzing nation-state actors, criminal organizations and financially motivated threat groups, focusing on malware analysis, reverse engineering and creating advanced detection capabilities using tools like YARA, Sigma and Suricata. Beyond his work at Acronis, Santiago is an active contributor to the cybersecurity community. He has authored articles and whitepapers and presented his research at renowned global conferences, including Virus Bulletin, CARO, Nuit du Hack, MITRE ATT&CK, BlueHat, AVAR, 8.8 and ekoParty. His work reflects his dedication to advancing the fight against cyberthreats worldwide.

Ilia Dafchev is a Senior Security Researcher with over seven years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. At Acronis, he focuses on threat research, malware analysis, and detection engineering. Previously, he worked as a Senior Security Analyst, where he specialized in incident response, forensic investigations, but also participated in penetration testing.

Eliad Kimhy is a Senior Security Researcher at Acronis, where he focuses on cybersecurity research, threat intelligence, and communicating findings through published reports, conference talks, and media engagements. Eliad has worked with security teams for close to a decade, helping build and lead the development of threat intelligence production, and the publication of research-based content for technical and general audiences. He is the co-creator and producer of the Webby Honoree podcast Malicious Life, which explores the history of cybersecurity. Eliad has spoken at conferences including Virus Bulletin, Insomnihack, Thotcon, BsidesSF, BsidesLV, and IT-SA.