TN-963: Windows Security Automation with PowerShell

Course Overview:

PowerShell is made for Security Operations (SecOps) automation on Windows. SecOps requires automation in order to scale out security changes and monitoring beyond a handful of hosts. For example, when a vulnerability must be remediated but there is no patch for it yet, automation is needed to quickly and consistently enact the changes necessary. PowerShell “remoting” is encrypted remote command execution of PowerShell scripts in a way that can scale to thousands of endpoints and servers.

Imagine being able to hunt for indicators of compromise across thousands of machines with just a few lines of PowerShell code. Or imagine having the local Administrator account password reset every night on thousands of endpoints in a secure way, and being able to retrieve that password securely too.

We will show you to do these tasks and more. Transcription logging for forensics, strong encryption code signing, application whitelisting of scripts, IPSec port control, and Just Enough Admin (JEA).

As more and more of our systems are moved up to the cloud, PowerShell will become even more important. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Office 365, Hyper-V and VMware already support PowerShell administration for many tasks.

Attendees to TN-963: Windows Security Automation with PowerShell will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Date/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 3 days

Course Objectives:

Day One
PowerShell Overview and Tips

    • Getting started running commands
    • Using and updating the built-in help
    • Execution policies
    • Fun tricks with the ISE graphical editor
    • Piping .NET and COM objects, not text
    • Using properties and methods of objects
    • Helping Linux admins feel more at home
    • Aliases, cmdlets, functions, modules, etc.
    • Customizing your profile script

What Can We Do With PowerShell

    • PowerShell remote command execution
    • Fan-out remoting and security
    • File copy via PowerShell remoting
    • Capturing the output of commands
    • Parsing text files and logs with regex patterns
    • Searching remote event logs faster with XPath
    • Mounting the registry as a drive
    • Exporting data to CSV, HTML and JSON files
    • Parsing and mining nmap port scanner XML output
    • Running scripts as scheduled jobs
    • Pushing out scripts through Group Policy
    • Importing modules and dot-sourcing functions
    • http://www.PowerShellGallery.com

Write your own scripts

    • Writing your own functions
    • Passing arguments into your scripts
    • Function parameters and returning output
    • Flow control: if-then, do-while, foreach, switch
    • The .NET Framework class library: a playground
    • How to pipe data in/out of your scripts

Day Two
Continuous Secure Configuration Enforcement

    • How to use Group Policy and PowerShell together
    • Automate with INF security templates
    • How to customize INF templates
    • Microsoft Security Compliance Manager (SCM)
    • SECEDIT.EXE scripting
    • Building an in-house security repository for SecOps/DevOps
    • NSA’s Secure Host Baseline GPOs

Group Policy Precision Targeting

    • Managing Group Policy Objects (GPOs) with PowerShell
    • LSDOU, Block Inheritance, Enforced GPOs
    • Group Policy permissions for targeting changes
    • ADMX templates for mass registry editing
    • Deploying PowerShell startup and logon scripts
    • WMI item-level targeting of GPO preferences
    • GPO scheduled tasks to run PowerShell scripts
    • Remote command execution via GPO (not remoting)
    • Empowering the Hunt Team to fight back!

Server Hardening for SecOps/DevOps

    • Server Manager scripting with PowerShell
    • Adding and removing roles and feature
    • Remotely inventory roles, features, and apps
    • Why Server Nano or Server Core
    • Running PowerShell automatically after service failure
    • Service account identities, passwords, and risks
    • Tools to reset service account passwords securely

Day Three
PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC)

    • DSC is Configuration Management built in for free
    • Using DSC for continuous reinforcement of settings
    • Writing your own DSC configuration scripts
    • Free DSC resource modules: www.PowerShellGallery.com
    • How to push DSC configurations to many targets
    • DSC background job processing in push mode
    • Examples: sync files, install roles, manage groups
    • Auditing a remote target against a DSC MOF template
    • “ApplyAndAutoCorrect” mode for continuous enforcement

PowerShell Just Enough Admin (JEA)

    • JEA is Windows sudo, like on Linux
    • JEA is Windows setuid root, like on Linux
    • Restricting commands and arguments
    • Verbose transcription logging
    • How to set up and configure JEA
    • Privilege Access Workstations (PAWs)

PowerShell and WMI

    • Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service
    • What is WMI and why do hackers abuse it so much?
    • Using PowerShell to query WMI CIM classes
    • WMI authentication and traffic encryption
    • Inventory operating system versions and installed software
    • WMI remote command execution versus PowerShell remoting
    • PowerShell security best practices
    • PowerShell transcription logging to catch hackers

Prerequisites:

  • GSEC or equivalent experience
  • UNIX, Windows, Networking, and Security Experience
  • This is a hands-on skill course requiring comfort with command line interaction and network communications

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PA-232: Palo Alto Networks Panorama Manage Multiple Firewalls (EDU-221)

  

 

Course Overview:  PA-232: Palo Alto Networks Panorama Manage Multiple Firewalls (EDU-221) Training Class is a two-day course.  Students attending this course will gain an in-depth knowledge of how to configure and manage their Palo Alto Networks Panorama Management Server.  Upon completion of this course, administrators will understand the Panorama server’s role in managing and securing their overall network.  Network professionals will learn to use Panorama’s aggregated reporting to provide them with a holistic view of a network of Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls.  This is not a virtualized theoretical course.  This is hands-on, real world instruction, directly relevant to the DoD and Commercial implementations of Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls.

Each student is issued a physical Palo Alto firewall and a Cisco layer 3 switch at their desk.  Real hardware per student for real experience and real skill development.

TechNow provides a very comprehensive client infrastructure that includes Windows, Linux, and multiple packet sniffer agents.  The instructor for this course has been a lead in Unix kernel development to implement firewall and intrusion detection technologies.  Additionally, the instructor has taught several security appliance products and carries several SANS, ISC2, ISACA, Cisco, Unix, and Windows certifications.

Attendees to the PA-232: Palo Alto Networks Panorama Manage Multiple Firewalls (EDU-221) Training Course will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

 

Dates/Locations: No Events

Duration: 2 days

Course Objectives:   Students attending this foundational-level training course will gain an in-depth knowledge of how to configure and manage their Palo Alto Networks Panorama Management Server.

Day 1

  • Module 0 – Introduction & Overview
  • Mod 1: Overview
    • Panorama Solution
    • Deployment Design
  • Mod 2: Initial Configuration
    • Interface Configuration
    • Setup Configurations
    • Device Deployment
    • Configuration Management
  • Mod 3: Templates
    • Templates Overview
    • Common Organization
    • Strategies
    • Configuring Templates
  • Mod 4: Device Groups
    • Device Groups
    • Objects
    • Policies
    • Device Group Commit

 

Day 2

  • Mod 5: Administration
    • Admin Roles and Access
    • Control
    • Commit Procedure
  • Mod 6: Logging and
    • Reporting
    • Logging
    • Application Command
    • Center
    • App-Scope
    • Correlation Objects
    • Reports
  • Mod 7: Log Collectors
    • Plan a Log Collection
    • Deployment
    • Distributed Data Collection
    • Log Deployment
    • Configure Dedicated Log
    • Collector
    • Managed Collector Groups
  • Mod 8: Business Continuity
    • Panorama High Availability
    • Collector Group
    • Redundancy
    • Export Configuration
    • Disk Installation

 

Prerequisites:

This course is in no way associated with Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

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TN-959: UNIX Security Administrator Course

Course Overview:

The  UNIX Security Administrator Prep is a hands-on course that covers how to secure and audit UNIX and Linux operating systems. This includes concepts such as Rootkits, Buffer overflows, and monitoring UNIX/Linux systems.

Attendees to TN-959: Unix Security Administratorwill receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Date/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 days

Course Objectives:

  • AIDE
  • Apache
  • Best Practices for Kernel Tuning and Warning Banners
  • Boot Services
  • Chroot()
  • DNS- BIND
  • DNSSec
  • Evidence Collection and Preservation
  • Forensic Analysis
  • Forensic Preparation and Incident Handling
  • Host Based Firewalls – iptables
  • Intro to Forensics
  • OS Install and Patching
  • Physical, User Account, and Password Access Control
  • Se Linux
  • Sendmail
  • SSH
  • Stack Smashing
  • Sudo
  • Syslog-NG
  • UNIX Logging

Course Prerequisites:

  • GSEC or equivalent experience
  • UNIX, Windows, networking, and security experience
  • This is a hands-on skill course requiring comfort with command line interaction and network communications

 

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User: wbcarter

Instructor comments: Good Stuff. Thanks!

User: ryuhas

Instructor comments: Very Good Instructor

Facilities comments: Facilities was great. Location had a lot to be desired. To much traffic and accidents trying to get here.

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VM-335: VMware Cloud Essentials and vCloud – Architecting the VMware Cloud FastTrack

 

Course Overview:

This FastTrack course combines combines two VMware courses (VMware Cloud Essentials and vCloud Architecting the VMware Cloud) into a single week course that adds extra exercises and labs to exemplify the techniques presented.  The course begins with how to adopt, operate, and govern the cloud. The course enables participants to successfully complete the associated CompTIA Cloud Essentials™ Exam to become a Cloud Essentials™ Professional(CEP). This course also covers the subject matter specified by the VCP-Cloud certification.

This course is designed to guide students through the decision points and policy choices available for designing and implementing a VMware vCloud environment. Detailed labs and exercises for VMware vSphere™, VMware vCloud Director, VMware vCenter™ Chargeback, and the VMware® vShield Edge capability that is included with vCloud Director. A comprehensive VMware cloud design is demonstrated and discussed.

Attendees to VM-335:  VMware Cloud Essentials and vCloud – Architecting the VMware Cloud FastTrack will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Date/Locations:

No Events

Course Duration: 5 days

Course Objectives:

  • Understand the common terms and definitions of cloud computing.
  • Understand the business benefits and business considerations of cloud computing.
  • Understand cloud computing from a technical perspective and recognize the various techniques, methods, challenges, and types of clouds.
  • Understand the impact and changes of cloud computing on IT service management.
  • Explain typical steps that lead to the successful adoption of cloud computing and understand the implications for organizations.
  • Recognize the compliance, risk, and regulatory consequences of cloud computing and its financial and strategic impact on an organization.
  • Evaluate and design a multitenant environment to address both private cloud and public cloud customer needs.
  • Configure vCloud providers that can accommodate heterogeneous server, storage, and network resources
  • Design a network infrastructure optimized for vCloud.
  • Integrate vCloud Director security with existing LDAP systems and design appropriate security hierarchies with security rolesnderstand the common terms and definitions of cloud computing.
  • Understand the business benefits and business considerations of cloud computing.
  • Understand cloud computing from a technical perspective and recognize the various techniques, methods, challenges, and types of clouds.
  • Understand the impact and changes of cloud computing on IT service management.
  • Explain typical steps that lead to the successful adoption of cloud computing and understand the implications for organizations.
  • Recognize the compliance, risk, and regulatory consequences of cloud computing and its financial and strategic impact on an organization.
  • Evaluate and design a multitenant environment to address both private cloud and public cloud customer needs.
  • Configure vCloud providers that can accommodate heterogeneous server, storage, and network resources.
  • Design a network infrastructure optimized for vCloud.
  • Integrate vCloud Director security with existing LDAP systems and design appropriate security hierarchies with security roles.
  • Design a vCenter Chargeback implementation.

Course Prerequisites:

  • VM-315  or equivalent experience.
  • Managing or administering at least one of UNIX, Windows, databases, networking, or security.

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PM-325: Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation

Course Overview:

This course is developed for those individuals seeking to pass the Project Management Institute’s PMP certification exam, as well as any individual who has attended any Project Management Certification program in the past and needs to brush up on the material needed to pass the PMP exam.

Attendees to PM-325: Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation will receive official PMI (Project Management Institute) course materials and expert instruction from an official PMI Instructor.

TechNow Inc. is an official Authorized Training Partner of The Project Management Institute (PMI).

 

Dates/Locations:

Date/Time Event
02/10/2025 - 02/14/2025
08:00 -17:00 		PM-325: Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
04/07/2025 - 04/11/2025
08:00 -16:00 		PM-325: Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation
Tech Now, Inc., San Antonio TX
04/07/2025 - 04/11/2025
08:00 -16:00 		PM-325: Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX

Duration: 5 Days

Course Objectives:

  • Project Initiation
  • Examining the Project Management Framework
  • Examining the Project Management Processes
  • Implementing Project Integration Management
  • Managing the Project Scope
  • Introducing Project Time Management
  • Introducing Project Cost Management
  • Introducing Project Quality Management
  • Introducing Project Human Resource Management
  • Introducing Project Communications Management
  • Introducing Project Risk Management
  • Introducing Project Procurement Management
  • PMP Code of Professional Conduct

Prerequisites:

A Bachelor’s degree & 4,500 hours of project management experience over 3 years/36 months.

OR

7,500 hours of project management experience over 5 years/60 months (if NO degree).

AND

Complete & submit the PMP certification application directly to PMI

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