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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CL-345: Red Hat OpenStack Administration II

 

Course Overview:

The focus of this course is managing Red Hat OpenStack Platform using the unified command-line interface, managing instances, and maintaining an enterprise deployment of OpenStack. This course also teaches the management and customization of an enterprise deployment of OpenStack (overcloud) and how to manage compute nodes with Red Hat OpenStack Platform director (undercloud).

Attendees to CL-345: Red Hat OpenStack Administration II will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Dates/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 Days

Prerequisites:

This course is intended for Linux system administrators, cloud administrators, cloud operators, and infrastructure architects interested in, or responsible for, maintaining a private or hybrid cloud.

Prerequisites for this course is Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), or demonstrate equivalent experience.

Attend Red Hat OpenStack Administration I: Core Operations for Cloud Operators (CL115), or demonstrate equivalent experience

Course Outline:

  • Navigate the Red Hat OpenStack Platform architecture
  • Describe the OpenStack control plane
  • Integrate Identity Management
  • Perform image operations
  • Manage storage
  • Manage OpenStack networking
  • Manage compute resources
  • Automate could applications
  • Troubleshoot OpenStack operations
  • Comprehensive review

 

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TN-969: Windows Security Administrator Course

Course Overview:

A skills focus enables the student to better absorb the subject matter and perform successfully on the job.  This is not death by power point. The course is aligned with information assurance operators and executing hands-on labs to secure Windows systems. Lecture and labs start with quick review of Active Directory and group policy to enforce security mechanisms within the Windows architecture.  Students then gain network experience and use sniffing to help exemplify the benefit of learning wired and wireless security configurations.  PowerShell is made for SecOps/DevOps automation and students will learn to write PowerShell scripts to automate security operations and Desired State Configuration (DSC).  The course concludes with exercising real attack strategies to demonstrate the effectives of properly securing your host.

Attendees to TN-969: Windows Security Administrator course will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Date/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 days

Course Objectives:

  • Active Directory and BloodHound
  • Security Controls
  • PKI
  • Encryption
  • Wireless & Network Security and Hardening DNS
  • 802.1x and Endpoint Protection
  • Firewalls and VPN
  • PowerShell Scripting
  • JEA, DSC, Enterprise Security with PowerShell
  • Windows Attack Strategies

Prerequisites:

  • Security+
  • Windows System Administration Skills

 

Comments

Latest comments from students

User: bbrabender

Instructor comments: Instructor was very knowledgeable and help more inexperienced users with concepts as well explaining in a way that can be understood.

Facilities comments: N/A

User: dale.r.anderson

Instructor comments: Instructor was well knowlegeable accross alot of domains.

Facilities comments: Pretty good

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VM-345: VMware Infrastructure Security: VMware Install, Configure, and Manage with Security Objectives

 

Course Overview:

This course explores the VMware Infrastructure and related security, which consists of VMware ESX Server & VMware Virtual Center Server. We will look at both the design environments and operational processes of the VMware Infrastructure including security. This course provides IT architects with the insight needed to tackle tough issues in server virtualization such as virtual machine technologies, storage infrastructure, and designing clustered environments with security practices included. Extensive hands-on labs provide for a rich student experience.

Hypervisors and their supporting environment require attention to security due to the aggregated risk of hosting multiple virtual servers. This course explores the security of virtualized environments. Student configure ESXi by learning to manage the security and risk between ESXi, virtual servers and security integration of ESXi to the physical network infrastructure including appropriate segregation from other sensitive networks and management networks. How to configure virtual networks when some hosts are dual or multi homed, but internally segregate between the two or more connected networks with different security levels. Appropriate integration of zero-clients and thin clients. Configuration of defensive measures on hosts, servers, hypervisors within the virtual environment and practices for those guarding it externally. Integration of Active Directory and other AAA/CIA related services relative to a virtualized environment.

Students are also walked through DoD ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG). Introduction to the impact of Intel Trusted Execution Technology integrated with ESXi to create a trusted platform for virtual machines. Additionally the instructor walks the students through NIST Special Publication 800-125A: Security Recommendations for Hypervisor Deployment on Servers, and NIST Special Publication 800-125B: Secure Virtual Network Configuration for Virtual Machine (VM) Protection.

Attendees to “VM-345: VMware Infrastructure Security: VMware Install, Configure, and Manage with Security Objectives” will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Dates/Locations:

No Events

Duration: 5 Days

Course Objectives:

• Virtual Infrastructure Overview
• ESX and ESXi Server Installation
• Configuration of Networking, Scalability and Security
• Storage
• Install and Configure vCenter Server and Components
• Creation, Deployment, Management, and Migration of Virtual Machines
• Utilize vCenter Server for Resource Management
• Utilize vCenter Server for Virtual Machine Access Control and User Managment
• Use vCenter Server to increase scalability
• Monitoring Your Environment
• Data & Availability Protection Troubleshooting
• Use VMware vCenter Update Manager to apply ESXi patches
• Use vCenter Server to manage vMotion, HA, DRS and data protection.

TN-535: Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE)

CCFE Core Competencies

  • Procedures and Legal Issues
  • Computer Fundamentals
  • Partitioning Schemes
  • Data Recovery
  • Windows File Systems
  • Windows Artifacts
  • Report writing (Presentation of Finding)
  • Procedures and Legal issues
  1. Knowledge of search and subjection and rules for evidence as applicable to computer forensics.
  2. Ability to explain the on-scene action taken for evidence preservation.
  3. Ability to maintain and document an environment consolidating the computer forensics.
  • Computer Fundamentals
  1. Understand BIOS
  2. Computer hardware
  3. Understanding of numbering system (Binary, hexadecimal, bits, bytes).
  4. Knowledge of sectors, clusters, files.
  5. Understanding of logical and physical files.
  6. Understanding of logical and physical drives.
  • Partitioning schemes
  1. Identification of current partitioning schemes.
  2. Understanding of primary and extended partition.
  3. Knowledge of partitioning schemes and structures and system used by it.
  4. Knowledge of GUID and its application.
  • Windows file system
  1. Understanding of concepts of files.
  2. Understanding of FAT tables, root directory, subdirectory along with how they store data.
  3. Identification, examination, analyzation of NTFS master file table.
  4. Understanding of $MFT structure and how they store data.
  5. Understanding of Standard information, Filename, and data attributes.
  • Data Recovery
  1. Ability to validate forensic hardware, software, examination procedures.
  2. Email headers understanding.
  3. Ability to generate and validate forensically sterile media.
  4. Ability to generate and validate a forensic image of media.
  5. Understand hashing and hash sets.
  6. Understand file headers.
  7. Ability to extract file metadata from common file types.
  8. Understanding of file fragmentation.
  9. Ability to extract component files from compound files.
  10. Knowledge of encrypted files and strategies for recovery.
  11. Knowledge of Internet browser artifacts.
  12. Knowledge of search strategies for examining electronic
  • Windows Artifacts
  1. Understanding the purpose and structure of component files that create the windows registry.
  2. Identify and capability to extract the relevant data from the dead registry.
  3. Understand the importance of restore points and volume shadow copy services.
  4. Knowledge of the locations of common Windows artifacts.
  5. Ability to analyze recycle bin.
  6. Ability to analyze link files.
  7. Analyzing of logs
  8. Extract and view windows logs
  9. Ability to locate, mount and examine VHD files.
  10. Understand the Windows swap and hibernation files.
  • Report Writing (Presentation of findings)
  1. Ability to conclude things strongly based on examination observations.
  2. Able to report findings using industry standard technically accurate terminologies.
  3. Ability to explain the complex things in simple and easy terms so that non-technical people can understand clearly.
  4. Be able to consider legal boundaries when undertaking a forensic examination