This repository documents a structured research lab focused on analyzing Windows security mechanisms, privilege architecture, and defensive detection strategies.

The primary objective is to understand:

• Windows privilege boundaries
• User Account Control (UAC) behavior
• Registry trust relationships
• Security service dependencies
• Defensive detection engineering

This project is strictly educational and intended for controlled lab environments only.

• Windows Integrity Levels
• UAC design and auto-elevation behavior
• Trusted signed binaries concept
• HKCU vs HKLM trust boundaries
• Registry-based execution flow

The lab analyzes the defensive role of:

• Microsoft Defender
• Windows Firewall
• Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
• SmartScreen
• Security Center
• Windows Update
• Event Logging
• Device Guard
• Exploit Guard
• Windows Script Host

For each component, the focus is:

• Security objective
• Risk exposure surface
• Detection opportunities
• Hardening recommendations

This research emphasizes blue team visibility and monitoring.

• Suspicious registry key creation
• Unexpected child process behavior
• Integrity level anomalies
• Security service state changes
• Persistence location modifications
• Unusual execution chains involving trusted binaries

• Windows Security Log
• Sysmon
• PowerShell Operational Log
• Defender Security Logs
• Task Scheduler Logs

All testing must be conducted in an isolated virtual environment.

Recommended setup:

• Dedicated Virtual Machine
• Snapshot before experimentation
• Network isolation
• Full logging enabled
• Baseline comparison before and after testing

Recommended platforms:

• VMware Workstation
• VirtualBox
• Hyper-V

By completing this lab, learners should understand:

• How Windows enforces privilege separation
• Why registry-based configurations can introduce risk
• How misconfigurations weaken security posture
• How defenders detect suspicious system modifications
• How to design monitoring strategies aligned with real-world SOC practices

This repository is intended strictly for:

• Academic research
• Defensive cybersecurity training
• Authorized lab experimentation
• Professional portfolio development

Any misuse against systems without explicit authorization is illegal and unethical.

Contributions are welcome in the following areas:

• Defensive detection improvements
• Log analysis methodologies
• Hardening documentation
• Blue Team playbooks
• Educational refinements

All contributions must align with responsible security research principles.