Detecting AD persistence and credential-replication attacks in the directory-service logs — 5136 object modifications (ACLs, AdminSDHolder, GPO), the 5137/5141 lifecycle, and using 4662 to catch DCSync.
The Security-log record of service installation — how 4697 differs from System 7045, the fields that expose malicious services and PsExec-style lateral movement, and why it's the more reliable of the two.
Tracking dropped files, registry persistence, alternate data streams and self-deletion with Sysmon — FileCreate (11), registry events (12/13/14), FileCreateStreamHash (15) and FileDelete (23/26).
Detecting privilege escalation and persistence through group membership changes in the Security log — local (4732), global (4728) and universal (4756) group additions, what the fields mean, and the create-then-add pattern.
How attackers use scheduled tasks for persistence and what it leaves in the event logs — Security 4698/4699/4700/4701/4702 with the full task XML, and the Task Scheduler Operational log 106/140/141/200.
Event ID 5861 (WMI-Activity/Operational) records permanent WMI event subscriptions, the __EventFilter/Consumer/Binding trio attackers use for persistence. How to read and hunt it.