Accenture's Daniel Barnes on SAML exploitation and what really matters in pentesting

What makes a vulnerability truly shocking is simplicity, once you notice the assumption everyone else missed. In this episode, Daniel shares a memorable SAML/SSO privilege escalation from a real engagement, then zooms out into what it takes to grow as a penetration tester: handling uncertainty, collaborating through roadblocks, and building the fundamentals that make creative problem-solving possible.

The conversation blends war stories with practical guidance for both aspiring testers and security leaders. We cover everything from dependency risk and real-world scoping realities to why thinking like an attacker belongs early in the SDLC, not at the end.