Windows Persistence Techniques and Detection for Beginners

Malicious actors often try to maintain long-term access to compromised environments, making persistence detection a critical skill for any security analyst. This course guides you through the core concepts of Windows persistence, helping you understand how these mechanisms work and how to detect them using security log data. In this course, you will learn to: 1. Understand the fundamentals of Windows registry run keys, scheduled tasks, and startup folders used for persistence. 2. Analyze common methods used by attackers to maintain access after an initial compromise. 3. Interpret security event logs to identify anomalous behavior and indicators of compromise. 4. Configure basic logging policies to ensure critical persistence activities are recorded. 5. Practice writing queries to hunt for persistent threats using SIEM log analysis concepts. 6. Apply modern threat detection principles to recognize zero-trust anomalies in system configurations. You will start with key terminology and foundational Windows security concepts before exploring common persistence mechanisms. Through written scenarios and log analysis exercises, you will learn to spot the telltale signs of unauthorized access. This course is designed for aspiring security analysts, IT administrators, and cybersecurity beginners. No prior security experience is required, though a basic familiarity with Windows operating system concepts is helpful. Start building your security detection skills today by understanding how to find hidden threats.