We’re thrilled to announce that mine and Stine’s joint session, Hypervisor Horror: Root Access and Regulatory Rage, has been selected for the first european VMUG Connect in Amsterdam 17th - 19th March 2026!
Thank you to VMUG for the opportunity — we’re incredibly excited to engage with the VMUG community, connect with fellow practitioners, and be part of an outstanding speaker lineup at this year’s event. VMUG Connect is expanding in 2026 into a multi-day powerhouse event designed for deeper technical dives, richer discussions, hands-on labs, curated learning tracks, inspiring keynotes, and meaningful in-person connections with VMware professionals from around the world.
Session Abstract#
Hypervisor Horror: Root Access and Regulatory Rage
vSphere and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environments are critical to enterprise infrastructure — but what happens when someone gains root access? Attackers are increasingly leveraging Living off the Land (LotL) techniques, using native ESXi commands and services to stealthily manipulate VMs, snapshots, and configurations, all while evading traditional detection. These subtle techniques can have devastating effects if hosts are not properly hardened.
In this session, we’ll dive deep into real-world LotL ESXi techniques and demonstrate how attackers exploit hypervisors to gain persistent access. Attendees will learn practical strategies for defending VCF environments by applying industry best practices and hardening standards, including NIST guidelines, CIS Benchmarks, and MITRE ATT&CK frameworks. We will cover host hardening, monitoring and logging, configuration enforcement, and automated detection methods, giving administrators and security engineers the tools to prevent hypervisor compromise and protect the entire virtual infrastructure.
Tentative session details#
- Track: Thrive in Tech
- Time Slot: March 18, 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
- Format: Breakout
See You at VMUG Connect Amsterdam!
We’re looking forward to meeting you in Amsterdam and connecting with the broader VMUG community. Whether you’re attending for deep technical sessions, hands-on learning, or the opportunity to network with peers and industry experts, VMUG Connect is a fantastic place to learn, exchange ideas, and grow together. If you’re attending the event, we’d love to see you in our session and chat with you throughout the conference!
