Security teams that only study defenses are always reacting. The organizations that consistently contain incidents faster are the ones whose analysts understand how attackers actually operate, from initial reconnaissance through lateral movement and data exfiltration.
That understanding does not come from reading about attacks. It comes from doing them.
SANS SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling is built on a straightforward principle: defenders who can use attacker tools and replicate attacker techniques are better equipped to detect, investigate, and respond to real incidents. The course covers the full attack lifecycle through hands-on labs against realistic targets in a hybrid cloud and on-premises environment.
In six days, you will work through:
Password and authentication attacks – cracking, spraying, and credential reuse across Windows, Linux, and cloud platforms
Web application exploitation – injection, cross-site scripting, and server-side attacks against production-like targets
Post-exploitation and lateral movement – endpoint security bypass, pivoting, persistence, and privilege escalation
Offensive AI techniques – how attackers leverage AI models and automation frameworks to accelerate their operations
Cloud attack surfaces – enumerating and exploiting storage misconfigurations and cloud identity weaknesses across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
Incident response process – applying a practical, analysis-driven response model to each attack category as you learn it
The course concludes with a Capture the Flag event where you put everything together, working through a realistic breach scenario as an incident handler. SEC504 also prepares you for the GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) certification.
Join me at SANS DC Metro June 2026 to build the offensive skills that bring new insight to defense strategies.
