Windows artifacts Architecture and Guardrails: Primer
RCCE students will learn Windows forensic artifacts including registry hives (SAM, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, NTUSER.DAT), event logs, prefetch files, shimcache, amcache, jump lists, LNK files, and browser artifacts. RCCE students will learn to extract and analyze Windows registry data for evidence of attacker activity, parse Windows event logs for security-relevant events, interpret prefetch data to determine program execution history, analyze shimcache and amcache for evidence of deleted executables, reconstruct user activity from jump lists and recent files, and correlate multiple artifact sources to build comprehensive investigation timelines. This architecture course teaches secure system design using proven patterns, guardrails, and reference architectures. Starting from foundational concepts, RCCE students will learn to evaluate design options against security requirements, make informed trade-off decisions, and build systems that are resilient by design. Students gain the architectural thinking skills needed for security engineering and solution design roles.
- Security Engineers building defensive controls
- Security Analysts and Blue Team members
- Systems Administrators with security responsibilities
- GRC and Risk Professionals supporting controls
- Professionals implementing Windows artifacts Architecture and Guardrails: Primer
- Design a scalable privilege management architecture with policy and enforcement
- Explain Course Overview fundamentals
- Execute hands-on tasks for learning objectives — covering Master Windows forensic artifacts.
- Execute hands-on tasks for target audience — covering DFIR analysts and SOC engineers.
- Execute hands-on tasks for what you will build — covering 4 lab exercises with hands-on tools.
- Execute hands-on tasks for topic map
- Execute hands-on tasks for 6. event logs
- Execute hands-on tasks for 7. security events
- Execute hands-on tasks for 8. prefetch files
- Execute hands-on tasks for what are windows artifacts?
- Explain Foundation for forensic investigation and IR fundamentals
| Module 01 | Windows Artifacts Architecture |
| Module 02 | Course Overview |
| Module 03 | Learning Objectives |
| Module 04 | Target Audience |
| Module 05 | What You Will Build |
| Module 06 | Topic Map |
| Module 07 | 1. Registry Architecture |
| Module 08 | 6. Event Logs |
| Module 09 | 7. Security Events |
| Module 10 | 8. Prefetch Files |
| Module 11 | What Are Windows Artifacts? |
| Module 12 | Foundation for forensic investigation and IR |
| Module 13 | Artifact Categories |
| Module 14 | Why Artifacts Matter |
All hands-on labs run on Rocheston Rose X OS. Students practice windows artifacts architecture and guardrails: primer by implementing the controls discussed in class, with a focus on real-world deployment, monitoring, and validation.
- Lab 1: Design a scalable privilege management architecture with policy and enforcement
- Lab 2: Explain Course Overview fundamentals
- Lab 3: Execute hands-on tasks for learning objectives
- Lab 4: Execute hands-on tasks for target audience
- Lab 5: Execute hands-on tasks for what you will build
Upon successful completion of this course, students will receive an official RCCE Course Completion Certificate for Windows artifacts Architecture and Guardrails: Primer, verifiable through the Rocheston certification portal.
- Full access to all course materials and slide decks
- Hands-on lab access on Rocheston Rose X OS environment
- Access to Rocheston CyberNotes
- Access to Rocheston Zelfire — EDR/XDR SIEM platform
- Access to Rocheston Raven — online cyber range exercise platform
- Access to Rocheston Vulnerability Vines AI