iii This Laboratory Manual complements the Security Essentials textbook and classroom-related studies. The laboratory activities in this manual help develop the valuable skills needed to pursue a career in the field of information security. Laboratory activities should be an essential part of your training. They link the concepts presented in the textbook to hands-on performance. You should not expect to learn cybersecurity skills only through the textbook, lectures, and demonstrations. Information and data security is an advanced topic. To be successful, you should have completed courses in basic computer hardware and networking. Many students will have obtained the CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications prior to taking a cybersecurity class. Completing this class using Security Essentials will help prepare you for the CompTIA Security+ Exam. The CompTIA Security+ Certification Exams are designed to test persons with computer and networking security experience. The object of this Laboratory Manual is to teach you the skills necessary not only to obtain a Security+ certification but also to help you begin your career. The goal of the Security+ Certification Exam is to verify a candi- date’s ability to assess an organization’s security posture and recommend or implement security solutions secure and monitor hybrid computing environments and comply with applicable laws and standards that govern data security. CompTIA recommends a candidate possess a Network+ certification as well as two years of experience in an IT administration role with a focus in security. Using This Manual The activities in this manual correlate to the textbook chapters. Each chapter has 3–6 activities that begin with a brief overview of the activity. In some cases, this overview also sets up a scenario that will be used for the activity. Following the overview are learning goals. These are the objectives to meet by completing the activity. After the learning goals is a list of the materials needed for the activity. Some activities can be completed with basic Internet access and a word processor. Other activities are more involved and require a virtual machine and downloaded freeware or open-source software. The list of materials will indicate what is needed so you can be prepared prior to starting the activity. Be sure to check the Materials list before beginning the activity to verify you have the proper equipment before proceeding with the lab. Following the list of materials are the step-by-step instructions for completing the activity. Read through the entire activity before starting to work through it. Be sure to ask your instructor for help if you have any questions or need clarification on any of the steps. As you read this text, you will also notice certain words or phrases that stand out. Functions clickable links buttons commands file paths and file names, such as notepad.exe, student.txt. and io.sys, appear in a boldface, sans-serif typeface. Internet addresses titles of menus and text you are asked to enter, for example ping 8.8.8.8, will be shown in a roman, sans-serif typeface. Many of these activities were developed using Windows 10. Since there are multiple versions of Windows 10 avail- able, there may be some differences in file paths, titles, and visual appearance. If you happen to encounter a difference between what is listed in this manual and what you experience as you perform the activity, consult with your instruc- tor. Additionally, these labs are best performed on standalone machines. That is, using computers that are part of an existing network or domain may result in the inability to open, alter, or modify certain utilities and configurations that are restricted by domain controls Configuring Virtual Machines The most common way to complete the activities in this manual is to use a virtual machine (VM). A virtual environment allows procedures to be isolated from the host’s operating system. This prevents damage to the host. There are several freeware or open-source solutions for creating a virtual machine. VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org) is a popular option. Once VirtualBox is set up, load the guest operating systems. At a minimum, you will need to load a Windows 10 operating system—but not Windows Home—and a Linux distro such as Ubuntu desktop. Introduction