This short video explains what privilege escalation is and how to mitigate the risk of privilege escalation attacks. To learn more about privilege escalation, visit netwrix.com/go/privilege-escalation. No matter how hard security experts try to keep hackers out of their network, they always seem to find a way to steal its data. One of the methods they use is known as privilege escalation. Successful privilege escalation attacks grant hackers privileges that end users don't normally have. The attacker moves up the privilege ladder by granting themselves permissions usually reserved for senior level administrators. In most privilege escalation attacks, the hacker first logs in with an ordinary end user account, then searches for flaws in the system that they can exploit to elevate their privileges, in order to gain access to sensitive data they can steal. The consequences of privilege escalation can be severe, from loss of this data and prolonged outages to huge fines for compliance violations and long-lasting damage to the organization’s reputation. To minimize the risk of privilege escalation and strengthen the security of your environment, start by: • Enforcing the least-privilege model for all employees and applications • Keeping antivirus software up to date • Promptly patching and updating all your applications and operating systems To learn more, check https://blog.netwrix.com/2018/09/05/what-is-privilege-escalation/ at Netwrix blog.