Getting into a system is only the beginning. The real objective for most attackers is to gain more access, more control, and ultimately the privileges needed to reach their target.

In this session, we step into the attacker’s mindset and explore the art of privilege escalation, how attackers turn an initial foothold into administrator, root, SYSTEM, or even domain-wide control. Through practical examples across Windows and Linux, we’ll uncover the techniques attackers use to discover hidden paths to privilege, exploit misconfigurations, abuse credentials and identities, and take advantage of excessive permissions. We’ll also look at how modern environments, automation, cloud services, and machine identities are creating new opportunities for attackers to move from user to admin faster than ever.

Most importantly, you’ll learn how defenders can identify and break these attack paths using least privilege, stronger identity security, just-in-time access, credential protection, and better detection, before attackers get the keys to the kingdom.

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Joseph Carson

An award-winning cybersecurity professional, ethical hacker, author, and globally recognized expert in identity security and privileged access. With more than 30 years of experience in enterprise cybersecurity, he is currently Chief Security Evangelist and Advisory CISO at Segura, where he helps organizations navigate the evolving challenges of identity, privilege, AI, and cyber risk.

A CISSP and OSCP, Joseph is the author of Cybersecurity for Dummies and a frequent keynote speaker at cybersecurity events around the world. He has contributed to major publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Dark Reading, and CSO, and regularly works with organizations and security leaders to turn complex cyber threats into practical strategies.

Joseph is also the host of the Security by Default podcast and a long-time participant in NATO CCDCOE’s Locked Shields, the world’s largest and most complex live-fire cyber defence exercise.