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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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 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.

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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TN-305: Designing, Implementing, Administering and Securing Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs)

Course Overview:

This course, TN-305: Designing, Implementing, Administering and Securing Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs), covers the two main objectives for those entering the wireless world, understanding the technology & addressing its security. TN-305: Designing, Implementing, Administering and Securing Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs) takes advantage of the student’s existing expertise to provide a challenging introductory course. Covering a broad range of wireless networking topics & an introduction on how to secure a wireless LAN from hackers. To insure wireless availability you need to understand proper design choices & administration practices. To protect valuable information on your network you need to know how attacks occur & techniques used to secure your wireless network.

Attendees to TN-305: Designing, Implementing, Administering and Securing Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs) will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Dates/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 Days

Course Objectives:

Radio Frequency (RF) Fundamentals
Spread Spectrum Technologies
802.11 Network Architecture
Physical & MAC Layers
Hardware Installation, Configuration, & Management
Antennas & Accessories
Wireless Network Management
Troubleshooting Wireless LANs
Site Surveying
Wireless LAN Security
Organizations & Standards

Prerequisites:

Attendees should have network administration skills. These skills can be obtained through TechNow’s N-205 & N-305: CCNA/ICND Training program or our highly respected cross platform TN-385: TCP/IP Analysis & Implementation course.

Comments

Latest comments from students

User: TMPRIESTLEY

Instructor comments: The instructor was very well versed on the topic and knew how to apply it to real-life examples. He led the labs and was very excited about the topic which kept the interest of myself and other class members. Sometimes his volume level was a little high- however the room the class was in was very small. Too small for a big personality!

Facilities comments: I was unaware of the facility changes, but that was at no fault of anyone since I was a drop-in for the course. They were very helpful and quick to mediate the issue.

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TN-315: Complete Hack and Defend

Course Overview:

Learn to protect yourself and your company against hackers, by learning their tools and techniques, and then testing your network. This course is heavily based on Kali and primarily on Metasploit. In TN-315: Complete Hack and Defend class you will learn the step by step process that hackers use to assess your enterprise network, probe it & hack into it in mixed-platform environment including Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Cisco. This course is 90% hacking, but defenses for demonstrated hacks will be discussed. If you want to know the ins and outs of the hacks presented in this course, then this is the course for you.

Attendees to TN-315: Complete Hack & Defend Class Attendees will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Dates/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 Days

Course Objectives:

Introduction to Pen Testing using the PTES model
Metasploit Basics
- MSFconsole, MSFcli, Armitage, MSFpayload, MSFencode, NasmShell
Intelligence Gathering
- Nmap, Databases in Metasploit, Port Scanning with Metasploit
Quick Intro to Ruby
- Writing a simple Ruby script to create a custom scanner
Vulnerability Scanning
- Importing Nessus Results
- Scanning with Nessus from Within Metasploit
Exploitation
- Using the Metasploit Framework and console to exploit
Meterpreter
- Compromising a Windows System
- Attacking MS SQL, xp_cmdshell
- Dumping Usernames and Passwords, extracting and dumping hashes
- Pass the Hash and Token Impersonation
- Pivoting
- Railgun
- Using Meterpreter Scripts: Migrating a process, Killing AV, Persistence
Avoiding Detection
- Creating Stand-Alone Binaries with MSFpayload
- Encoding with MSFencode and Packers (go Green Bay:)
Exploitation Using Client Side Attacks
- Introduction to Immunity Debugger
- Using Immunity Debugger to Decipher NOP Shellcode
Metasploit Auxiliary Modules
Social Engineer Toolkit (SET)
- Spear-Phishing, Web Attack
- Creating a Multipronged Attack
Creating Your Own Module
- Adapt an existing Module
- Add some PowerShell and Run the Exploit
Meterpreter Scripting
Capture The Flag Exercise

Prerequisites:

This is an advanced Information Security Course which requires basic Windows & UNIX competency
Certification or 2 years of experience in these operating systems is highly recommended
An understanding of TCP/IP

Comments

Latest comments from students

User: dhonore

Instructor comments: Dave's presentation style is engaging and lively.

Facilities comments: The room was adequate for the needs of the class.

User: phouck

Instructor comments: David was very good. Although he went very fast at times.

Facilities comments: The room was ok. it was bit dark.