Observations of Instructor Led Training with Real Hardware

TechNow has heard many students talk about virtualized/remote training that TechNow Does Not Do. While training our most recent offering of PA-215: Palo Alto Networks Firewall Essentials FastTrack a student told his story of how he endend up in our course. His story we have heard for other technologies like Cisco, VMware, BlueCoat and other products.

A large percentage of training is moving to the virtualized/remote lab environments. Students are asked to use some variant of remote access software and remote into the training company's lab environment. Our student in our Palo Alto Networks Firewall course informed us that he went to a very costly offering of that course from the vendor and was not able to perform any labs. There were either network connectivity issues, or issues with the remote access software, or other problems. The whole training experience was very frustrating and not productive.

We keep our labs open to students if they would like after hours, or before hours access. Repeatedly going through a lab engrains that knowledge for later recall. Touching hardware is so critical in understanding the problems that arise when a cable comes loose, or a cable gets plugged in the wrong port. There are other scenarios such as just pulling the power cable, or turning off a power strip, or accidently overwriting a configuration. These disaster scenarious requires hands-on physical access to hardware. Preventing and recovering from disasters is what it's all about, and that requires hands-on, instructor led, real hardware.

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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TN-525: Certified Penetration Testing Professional (CPENT)

Course Overview:

A rigorous Pen Testing program that, unlike contemporary Pen Testing courses, teaches you how to perform an effective penetration test across filtered networks. The course requires you to Pen Test IoT systems, OT systems, builds on your ability to write your own exploits, build your own tools, conduct advanced binaries exploitation, double pivot to access hidden networks, and various technologies.

What’s Included:

- EC-Council official E-Courseware
- EC-Council official Certificate of Attendance
- EC-Council iLabs with access for 6 months
- EC-Council CPENT Range access
- CEH Exam Voucher
Dates/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 days

Course Content:
- - Module 01. Introduction to Penetration Testing
  - Module 02. Penetration Testing Scoping and Engagement
  - Module 03. Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
  - Module 04. Social Engineering Penetration Testing
  - Module 05. Network Penetration Testing – External
  - Module 06. Network Penetration Testing – Internal
  - Module 07. Network Penetration Testing – Perimeter Devices
  - Module 08. Web Application Penetration Testing
  - Module 09. Wireless Penetration Testing
  - Module 10. IoT Penetration Testing
  - Module 11. OT/SCADA Penetration Testing
  - Module 12. Cloud Penetration Testing
  - Module 13. Binary Analysis and Exploitation
  - Module 14. Report Writing and Post Testing Actions
Prerequisites:
- - - Pass the CEH exam
    - Pass the CND exam
Target Audience:

Penetration Testers, Ethical Hackers, Information Security Consultants/ Testers/ Analysts/ Engineers, Network Server Administrators, Firewall & System Administrators, Risk Assessment Professionals

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MS-10231: Designing a Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and 2013 Infrastructure

Course Overview:

This course is intended for IT Professionals who use Microsoft SharePoint 2010 in a team-based, medium-sized to large environment. While they may have implemented a SharePoint deployment, they have limited experience in designing a SharePoint infrastructure. They likely work as a senior administrator who acts as a technical lead over a team of administrators. Members of this audience should have at least 6 months experience with SharePoint 2010 (including pre-released versions of the product).

Attendees to MS-10231: Designing a Microsoft SharePoint 2010/2013 Infrastructure will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Date/Location:

No Events

Duration: 5 days

Course Objectives:

Designing a Logical Architecture
Planning Service Application Architecture
Planning for Performance and Capacity
Designing a Physical Architecture
Designing a Security Plan
Planning Authentication
Planning Managed Metadata
Planning Social Computing
Designing Enterprise Search Strategy
Planning Enterprise Content Management
Developing a Plan for Governance
Designing a Maintenance and Monitoring Plan

Prerequisites:

At least 2 years experience administering, deploying, managing, monitoring, upgrading, migrating, and designing SharePoint servers
At least one year’s experience of mapping business requirements to logical and physical technical design
Working knowledge of network design, including network security

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MS-10175: Developing & Customizing Applications for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 & 2013

Course Overview:

TechNow’s Course provides existing .NET developers with practical information and labs that enables them to build solutions on the Microsoft SharePoint 2010/2013 platform.

Attendees to MS-10175: Developing & Customizing Applications for Microsoft SharePoint 2010/2013 will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Date/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 days

Course Objectives:

Introduction to SharePoint 2010/2013 Development Platform
Using SharePoint 2010/2013 Developer Tools
Developing SharePoint 2010/2013 Web Parts
Working with SharePoint Objects on the Server
Creating Event Receivers and Application Settings
Developing Solutions by Using Business Connectivity Services
Developing SharePoint 2010/2013 Workflows
Working with Client-based APIs for SharePoint 2010/2013
Developing Interactive User Interfaces
Developing Silverlight Applications for SharePoint
Developing Sandboxed Solutions
Working with SharePoint Server Profiles and Taxonomy APIs
Developing Content Management Solutions

Prerequisites:

An understanding of the problem-solving techniques that apply to software development
Approximately 12 months experience with ASP .NET 3.5 with Visual Studio 2008 (or later)
Approximately 1 month development experience with SharePoint 2007 or SharePoint 2010/2013 and VS2010/2013 (includes beta releases) creating code that interacts with the SharePoint Sever-side APIs
Experience performing end user tasks with SharePoint 2007 or SharePoint 2010/2013 and an understanding of the purpose and use of the following:
- Lists
- Documents and Libraries
- Personalizing an SP Page/Site
- Using MySites
- Using SharePoint Designer

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User: kelleyd10

Instructor comments: Clay was / is an outstanding instructor. He was very flexible in what the class needed. He was very accommodating and resourceful in answering the class questions. Clay's teaching style is greatly appreciated.

Facilities comments: Were good

User: dennij

Instructor comments: Very professional and knowledgeable. Available before and after class.

Facilities comments: Location was nice but too far from Lackland.