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SMB Signing Policy SMB Signing Policy refers to the security settings related to the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol, which is used for file sharing, printer access, and other network services in Windows environments. Server Message Block signing is a security feature that helps protect SMB communication against certain types of attacks, such as man-in-the-middle attacks, by ensuring that SMB communications are authentic and have not been tampered with. What is SMB Signing? SMB Signing involves adding a digital signature to SMB packets. This signature verifies the authenticity of the packets and ensures that the data has not been altered during transmission. When SMB signing is enabled, each SMB packet includes a cryptographic signature that is verified by the receiving party. Advantages of SMB Signing Security: It helps prevent attackers from intercepting and tampering with SMB traffic, which can include sensitive information and authentication credentials. Integrity: Ensures that the data transmitted over the network is not modified or corrupted in transit. Disadvantages of SMB Signing SMB Signing Policy Settings There are typically two key policy settings related to SMB signing: Enable SMB Signing for Client and Server Client Side: This setting determines whether the client will request SMB signing when communicating with the server. Server Side: This setting determines whether the server requires SMB signing from clients. You can configure SMB signing to be required, enabled but not required, or disabled. Require SMB Signing for Client and Server This setting forces SMB signing to be enabled and required for all SMB traffic. If this policy is applied, SMB communications will not be established without signing. Best Practices By implementing and managing SMB signing policies effectively, you can enhance the security of SMB communications in your network and protect against various types of cyber threats. Configuring SMB Signing We are going to configure SMB signing for both the server and the client (Require and enable). To enable SMB signing for the client, follow these steps: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services as shown below To configure the client to require SMB signing (RequireSecuritySignature). Locate \LanManWorkstation\Parameters and click on parameters. On the right side, click on the registry value RequireSecuritySignature to edit REG_DWORD, as shown below. Replace (0) with (1) to enable it. (0) means disable (1) means enable. To configure the client to enable SMB signing (EnableSecuritySignature). Locate \LanManWorkstation\Parameters and click on parameters. On the right side, click on the registry value EnableSecuritySignature to edit REG_DWORD, as shown below. Replace (0) with (1) to enable it. (0) means disable (1) means enable. To configure the server to enable SMB signing (EnableSecuritySignature). Locate \LanManWorkstation\Parameters and click on parameters. On the right side, click on the registry value RequireSecuritySignature to edit REG_DWORD, as shown below. Replace (0) with (1) to enable it. (0) means disable (1) means enable. To configure the server to enable SMB signing (EnableSecuritySignature). Locate \LanManWorkstation\Parameters and click on parameters. On the right side, click on the registry value EnableSecuritySignature to edit REG_DWORD, as shown below. Replace (0) with (1) to enable it. (0) means disable (1) means enable. To disable SMB signing, simply follow the same steps listed above and replace (1) with (0) to disable it. Conclusion Implementing SMB signing is a crucial step in enhancing the security of network communications within Windows environments. By enabling SMB signing, organizations can protect against man-in-the-middle attacks and ensure the integrity of data transmitted over the network. While SMB signing introduces a slight performance overhead and may affect compatibility with older systems, the security benefits far outweigh these drawbacks. Enforcing SMB signing policies helps safeguard sensitive information and maintain a secure network environment. Organizations should regularly review and adjust their SMB signing settings to balance security needs with performance considerations, ensuring robust protection against potential cyber threats.

A Comprehensive Guide to Protecting Payment Card Data In today’s digital economy, securing payment card data is essential. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) provides a framework for protecting this sensitive information and ensuring that organizations adhere to best practices for data security. The latest version, PCI DSS v4.0, brings updated requirements and guidelines to address the evolving landscape of cyber threats. In this blog post, we’ll explore the critical aspects of PCI DSS v4.0, focusing on its requirements and how they help organizations safeguard payment card information. What is PCI DSS? PCI DSS in full means Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. A set of security standards designed to safeguard cardholder information during and after a financial transaction. What is PCI DSS v4.0? PCI DSS v4.0 is the latest version of this standard, released by the PCI Security Standards Council on March 31, 2022. It builds upon previous versions with enhancements to address emerging threats and changes in technology. You can find the official PCI DSS v4.0 document here. This document outlines the comprehensive requirements organizations must follow to ensure payment card data security. Critical Requirements of PCI DSS v4.0 PCI DSS v4.0 consists of 12 main requirements grouped into six categories. These requirements are designed for the purpose of establishing a secure network, safeguarding cardholder data, and maintaining a vulnerability management program. Here’s an overview of these categories and their requirements: 1. Build and Maintain a Secure Network and Systems Requirement 1: Install and Maintain Network Security Controls Network security is the foundation of safeguarding payment card data. It is important to conduct a thorough review of your network security architecture and ensure all controls are aligned with the latest PCI DSS requirements. PCI DSS v4.0 emphasizes the importance of installing and maintaining robust network security controls. This involves: Requirement 2: Apply Secure Configurations to All System Components Securing system components is critical to protecting payment data. To comply with this requirement, develop a configuration management policy and automate compliance checks where possible to ensure consistency across all system components. PCI DSS v4.0 requires: 2. Protect Cardholder Data Requirement 3: Protect Stored Cardholder Data Cardholder data must be encrypted and stored securely. This requirement ensures that even if data is accessed, it remains protected through strong encryption and other security measures. Requirement 4: Encrypt Cardholder Data Transmission Across all Open and Public Networks Data transmitted across open networks must be encrypted to prevent interception and unauthorized access. This includes using technologies like TLS to secure data in transit. 3. Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program Requirement 5: Protect All Systems Against Malware and  Update Anti-Virus Software or Programs Regularly Anti-virus and anti-malware solutions are essential for detecting and preventing malicious software. Organizations must deploy and regularly update these solutions to protect their systems. Requirement 6: Develop and Maintain Secure Systems and Applications Regular updates and patches are necessary to address vulnerabilities in systems and applications. This requirement emphasizes the need for ongoing security maintenance. 4. Implement Strong Access Control Measures Requirement 7: Restrict Access to Cardholder Information by Business Need to Know Access to cardholder data should be limited to individuals who need it to perform their job functions. This principle of least privilege helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Requirement 8: Identify and Authenticate Access to System Components Strong authentication mechanisms are required to verify the identity of users accessing systems. This includes implementing multifactor authentication (MFA) where appropriate. Requirement 9: Restrict Physical Access to Cardholder Information Physical access controls are necessary to protect cardholder data from being accessed or tampered with. This requirement ensures that physical security measures are in place to safeguard sensitive information. 5. Monitor and Test Networks Regularly Requirement 10: Track and Monitor All Access to Cardholder Data and Network Resources Logging and monitoring activities help detect and respond to security incidents. Organizations must implement mechanisms to track access and maintain logs for review. Requirement 11: Regularly Test Security Systems Processes and Conducting security testing regularly, which includes penetration testing and vulnerability scans, is essential to identify and address potential weaknesses in processes and systems. 6. Maintain an Information Security Policy Requirement 12: Support Information Security with Organizational Policies and Programs. A comprehensive security policy is crucial for guiding employees and contractors on information security practices. This requirement ensures that organizations have documented policies and procedures in place. How PCI DSS v4.0 Enhances Security PCI DSS v4.0 introduces several updates and enhancements to improve Security, including: Implementing PCI DSS Requirements Implementing PCI DSS v4.0 requires a systematic approach as follows: Conclusion PCI DSS v4.0 represents a significant advancement in the ongoing effort to protect payment card data. By understanding and implementing the requirements outlined in the standard, organizations can better safeguard sensitive information and reduce the risk of data breaches. For more details on PCI DSS v4.0, including specific requirements and guidance, refer to the official PCI DSS v4.0 document. Securing payment card data is critical to maintaining customer trust and safeguarding your organization’s reputation. By adhering to PCI DSS requirements, you can ensure that your security practices are up-to-date and effective in protecting against the latest threats. Reference Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Requirements and Testing Procedures Version 4.0

Hey there! Welcome to our Nmap cheat sheet, which will provide a comprehensive guide to Nmap commands and flags. Nmap, also known as Network Mapper, is an open-source tool used to explore networks and audit security. It allows you to discover hosts and services on a computer network and helps you uncover and provide valuable network information and security vulnerabilities. Key Features of Nmap Basic Nmap Scanning Techniques Before we dive into the various Nmap commands and flags, let’s start with some basic commands that will help you get started: The most basic Nmap command nmap <target>. Replace <target> with the IP address or hostname of the target you want to scan. For example, nmap example.com or nmap 192.168.1.0 Scanning multiple targets, nmap <target1> <target2>: This command allows you to scan multiple hosts. Replace <target1> <target2> with the IP addresses or hostnames of the target you want to scan. For example, nmap 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.0 or nmap example.com example.net. Scanning an entire subnet. nmap <subnet>: This command allows you to scan an entire subnet. For example, nmap 192.168.1.1/24 Scanning an IP address range. nmap <startIP-endIP>: This command scans a range of IP addresses. For example, nmap 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.100 Scanning specific ports nmap -p <port1,port2,…> <target> The -p flag allows you to scan specific ports on a target host. For example, nmap -p 80,53 192.168.1.1 Scanning a range of ports, nmap -p <port> – <port> <target>: This command allows you to scan a range of ports on a target. Replace <port> – <port> with the desired port range and <target> with the IP address or hostname. For example, nmap -p 53-80 example.com or nmap -p 53-80 192.168.1.1. Scanning a specific port, nmap -p <port> <target>: This command allows you to scan a specific port on a target. Replace <port> with the desired port number and <target> with the IP address or hostname. For example, nmap -p 80 example.com or nmap -p 80 192.168.1.1. Aggressive scanning, nmap -A <target>: The -A flag enables aggressive scanning. Which includes OS detection and service version detection. -A flag will scan the target using -sS, -sV, and -O flags. This command provides more detailed information about the target. For example, nmap -A 192.168.1.1. Fast scan mode, nmap -F <target>: The -F flag enables a fast scan mode, which scans only the most common ports. This is useful when you want to quickly identify open ports on a target. For example, nmap -F example.com. Commonly Used Nmap Flags Nmap offers a wide range of flags that allow you to customize your scans and obtain specific information about the target. Here are some commonly used Nmap flags: -SS: This flag enables TCP SYN scan, also known as stealth scan, which is the default and most commonly used scan type according to nmap.org. It’s quiet and stealthy. It’s considered a half-open scanning because it doesn’t perform a full TCP connection. It sends a SYN packet to the target’s ports and analyzes the response to determine whether the port is open, closed, or filtered. -sT: This flag enables TCP connect scan, which establishes a full TCP connection with the target’s ports. It is slower than SYN scan but provides more accurate results. -sU: This flag enables UDP scan, which is used to scan for open UDP ports. UDP scans are generally slower than TCP scans, according to nmap.org. -O: This flag enables OS detection, which attempts to determine the operating system running on the target. It analyzes various network characteristics and compares them to a database of known operating system signatures. -sV: This flag enables service version detection, which attempts to determine the version of the services running on the target’s ports. It sends probes to the target’s ports and compares the responses to a database of known service signatures. -T<0-5>: This flag sets the timing template for the scan. The higher the number, the faster the scan, but it has a higher risk of detection. The default timing template is 3.  -p-: This flag scans all 65535 ports on the target. By default, Nmap only scans the top 1000 most common ports. Advanced Nmap Commands Now that you are familiar with the basic commands and commonly used flags let’s explore some advanced Nmap commands that provide additional functionality:   Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE)  The -sC flag enables script scanning, which allows you to run Nmap scripts against the target. Nmap scripts are written in the Lua programming language and provide additional functionality, such as vulnerability detection and service enumeration. This command allows you to run a specific Nmap script against the target. Replace <script> with the name of the script you want to run. For example, nmap –script http-enum example.com.  This command enables you to run a default Nmap script against the target. This command allows you to run scripts against Specific Ports.      Nmap Output    The -oX flag saves the scan results in XML format. This is useful when you want to parse the results programmatically or import them into other tools for further analysis. The -oN flag saves the scan results in normal (human-readable) format. This is the default output format if no other format is specified. The oA flag allows you to save scan results in multiple formats simultaneously (normal, XML, and grepable formats). According to nmap.org. It’s convenient, and the results are stored in <basename>.nmap, <basename>.xml, and <basename>.gnmap, respectively. The -v flag enables verbose output, which provides more detailed information about the scan progress and results. It can be useful for troubleshooting or when you need more visibility into the scanning process. Conclusion In this Nmap cheat sheet, we have covered the basic Nmap commands, commonly used flags, and advanced commands that provide additional functionality. Nmap is a powerful tool that can help you discover hosts and services on a network, identify open ports, and gather valuable information for network exploration and security auditing. If you want to learn, you can click here for more resources. Remember to always use Nmap responsibly and with proper authorization. Unauthorized scanning

Exploring and Exploiting the Owasp Juice Shop Vulnerabilities to Understand the Owasp Top 10 For this lab, we will use Owasp Juice Shop to learn how to exploit the Owasp Top 10 vulnerabilities. You can also use OWASP Mutillidae II. What is Owasp Juice Shop? OWASP Juice Shop is an open-source web application developed by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). It is a deliberately insecure application for educational and training purposes. OWASP Juice Shop is an educational tool for developers, students, and security professionals to learn about common web application security vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them. By exploring and exploiting the vulnerabilities in Juice Shop, you gain hands-on experience in identifying, understanding, and mitigating security issues. It is designed to simulate a modern web application with various security vulnerabilities commonly found in real-world applications. In our previous lab, we covered how to install Owasp Juice Shop in Kali Linux. Click here to learn. What is the OWASP Top 10? The OWASP Top 10 is a regularly updated list of the most critical web application security risks. It serves as a guide for developers, security professionals, and organizations to understand and address the vulnerabilities that attackers commonly exploit. The list is compiled based on data from various sources, including security companies, independent researchers, and real-world incidents. The 2017 edition of the OWASP Top 10 includes the following vulnerabilities: The 2021 edition of the OWASP Top 10 includes the following vulnerabilities: Click here to learn more about the OWASP Top 10 2021 edition. Injection – A01:2017 What is an injection vulnerability? Injection vulnerability allows attackers to send malicious code through a web application to another system. These attacks include calls to the operating system via system calls, the use of external programs via shell commands, and calls to backend databases via SQL (i.e., SQL injection). Scripts written in Python, Perl, and other languages can be injected into poorly designed applications and executed. Any time an application uses an interpreter of any type, there is a danger of introducing an injection vulnerability. Login Jim (Log in with Jim’s user account.) Login into Jim’s account using SQL injection. Type in jim@juice-sh.op’– as the username and any password of your choice. Click the log-in button. We have successfully solved the challenge Login Jim (Log in with Jim’s user account.): Broken Authentication – A02:2017 What is Broken Authentication? Broken Authentication happens when a poor authentication method is used for verification purposes. Such as setting publicly available information as a security question. For example, What is the name of your first child? People share a lot of personal information on social media, blogs, and websites. An attacker can easily find answers to your security question by performing Open Source Intelligent OSINT on the target. Many website registrations use security questions for both password retrieval/reset and sign-in verification. Some also ask the same security questions when users call on the phone. Security questions are one method to verify the user and stop unauthorized access. But there are problems with security questions. Websites may use poor security questions that may have negative results: The user can’t accurately remember the answer or the answer changed, The question doesn’t work for the user, The question is not safe and could be discovered or guessed by others. It is essential that we use good questions. Good security questions meet five criteria. The answer to a good security question is: Safe: cannot be guessed or researched Stable: does not change over time Memorable: can be easily remembered Simple: is precise, easy, consistent Many: There are many possible answers It is difficult to find questions that meet all five criteria, which means that some questions are good, some fair, and most are poor. In reality, there are few, if any, GOOD security questions. People share so much personal information on social media, blogs, and websites, which makes it hard to find questions that meet the criteria above. In addition, many questions are not applicable to some people; for example, what is your oldest child’s nickname — but you don’t have a child? Reset Bender’s password (Broken Authentication Challenge) For this challenge, we are going to reset Bender’s password via the Forgot Password mechanism. On the Score Board, Click on Broken Authentication, then click on the hyperlink in the Reset Bender’s Password. This takes you to a password reset page. Now, we need to find out what Bender’s email address is. Right-click and click Inspect(Q) or Press F12 on your keyboard to view the source code. Click on Deburger and { } main.js as shown below. Press ctrl f to enable search. We need to find out what Bender’s email address is. Type Bender in the search box and hit enter. Click on the up and down arrow in the search box to navigate through the source code. as shown below. Next, we need to find out what the answer to Bender’s security question could be. To do this, we have to perform some Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to learn more about Bender. Bender is from Futurama. Click here to read the Character Biography section. “Company you first work for as an adult?” is the security question. Bender Bio tells you that “Bender had a job at the metalworking factory, bending steel girders for the construction of suicide booths.” Click here to read about “suicide booths.” This site says that their most important brand is Stop’n’Drop. Type “Stop’n’Drop” as the answer to the security question. Set a new Password and confirm it. Click on the Change button to change the password. We have successfully solved the challenge: Reset Bender’s password. Sensitive Data Exposure – A3:2017 What is Sensitive Data Exposure? This category refers to the vulnerabilities related to the exposure of sensitive data within web applications, posing significant risks to the confidentiality and privacy of user information. Sensitive data is any information that, if exposed or compromised, could lead to harm or damage to individuals or organizations. This includes personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, addresses, social security numbers, credit

Login to your Nesus account. If you don’t have an account, Click here for a Step-by-Step Guide on Installing Nessus Essentials. It’s free! What is a Basic Network Scan? A Basic Network Scan is a full system scan that is suitable for any host. Click on the New Scan button by the top right. Choose the Basic Network Scan Template by clicking Basic Network Scan. Name your scan, type a description (optional), choose My Scan folder for your scan, and enter your target IP address(s) or IP range. You can schedule your scan as shown below. But for this scan, I am keeping the schedule off. You can enter an email address to receive notification, as shown below. But for this scan, I am keeping it as default. Click the Credential tab if you like to perform a credential scan. This is a non-credential scan, so I am not providing any credentials. Keep everything else as default and click the Save button. Click the play icon by the top right. Scan completed successfully. Click the Vulnerability tab and click on each Vulnerability to learn about them. Note: I expected to see some vulnerabilities because I made the target machine vulnerable. Click here to learn How to make a Windows 10 machine vulnerable to attack for vulnerability scanning purposes. Next, we are going to learn how to analyze, verify, and mitigate the true positives. Click here to learn.

Authenticated scanning involves providing credentials such as usernames and passwords to the scanning tool, allowing it to log in to the target systems or devices as an authorized user. This enables the scanning tool to access and collect detailed information about the target’s configuration, installed software, patches, and other system attributes that may not be accessible through non-authenticated scanning methods.Qualys Authentication allows the scanning tool to gather comprehensive information about the target systems, including detailed software inventory, configuration settings, and patch status. By authenticating to target systems, Quaelys can perform deeper vulnerability assessments and identify misconfigurations, missing patches, and potential security weaknesses that may be overlooked in non-authenticated scans. Authenticated scanning offers several benefits, including: More accurate and comprehensive vulnerability assessment results.Better detection of security issues related to system configuration and patch management.Reduced false positives and more reliable risk prioritization.Enhanced compliance auditing capabilities, particularly for regulatory requirements that mandate comprehensive asset inventory and configuration management. Note: There are prerequisites to this lab From the Previous labs. I will link them below. Prerequisites We need to create an Option Profile for the authentication scan. Click on the scans tab > Option Profiles > New > Option Profiles. Name your new Option Profile. Click on Scan, for this example we are leaving everything else as default except the Authentication as this is a basic Authentication scan. We are using the Windows Domain Authentication created in the previous lab. See how to create Windows Domain Authentication here. Click here to learn how to set up Unix Authentication (Linux in Qualys). Check the box next to Windows under Authentication. And Click the save button. Note: Before you launch the scan, ensure your target host IP address (es) is in the same range as the IP address of your virtual appliance. Turn the firewall off on your target host. For this example, my target host is Windows 10, and Windows Defender has been turned off. See how to turn Windows Defender off here. Click the Launch button. Next, we are going to create a new Scan. To create a new scan in Qualys, click the Scans tab > Scans > New > Scan. Give your new scan a Title, Select the Option Profiles created, leave the Processing Priority as 0, and choose the Virtual Scanner Appliance created. Choose your Target Host. You can choose an Asset Group; see how to create an Asset Group here. For this example, I am scanning a specific IP address of a Windows 10 virtual machine I made Vulnerable. Type your target IP address(es) In the IPv4 addresses/Ranges. Click the Launch button. See how to make a vulnerable machine here. The Scan was completed successfully. You should see similar to the screenshot below. Click the blue View Results link to review the scan result. Next, let’s review the Scan Result. Click here for How to Analyze Qualys Scan Results. Reference Qualys Documentation

Creating an Azure Key Vault is a crucial step for managing sensitive data, such as secrets, keys, and certificates, in a secure and scalable way. Azure Key Vault helps protect cryptographic keys and secrets used by cloud applications and services. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create an Azure Key Vault: Go to the Azure Portal and sign in with your Azure account, or click here to create a free account if you don’t have one. Ensure you have an Azure subscription and the necessary permissions to create resources. Click on the Key Vaults icon or type Key Vault into the search box and select Key Vault from the list. Click the Create Key Vault button to create an Azure Key Vault. Select the Azure region where you want to store your Key Vault. Choose a region close to your applications for better performance. Click on the Create button. Azure Key Vault was successfully created, as shown in the screenshot below. How to Create Azure Key Vault Using Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) Open your Cloud Shell at the top right, as shown in the screenshot below, and choose Powershell. Run the following command: Replace “<your-unique-keyvault-name>”, “myResourceGroup”, and “Region” as shown in this example: New-AzKeyVault -Name VulnMgmtKVt1 -ResourceGroupName VulnMgmtRG1 -Location EastUS The KeyVault was successfully created, as shown in the screenshot Reference Microsoft Learn Microsoft Learn

Setting Up an Ethical Hacking Lab with Metasploitable3 and Kali Linux on Windows Using Vagrant in VirtualBox What is Metasploitable3? Metasploitable3 by Rapid7 is a virtual machine that is intentionally built to contain many security weaknesses and misconfigurations and serves as a valuable tool for cybersecurity education and training. Allowing us to use it as a target for practicing hacking and penetration testing in a controlled and safe environment. Now that you understand what Metasploitable3 is let’s proceed with the installation. In this lab, we are going to install Metasploitable3 using Vagrant and Kali Linux in VirtualBox on the Windows Operating System. Click here to download VirtualBox and VirtualBox Extension Pack. Once downloaded, Install the VirtualBox and VirtualBox Extension Pack on your Windows OS. The essence of this lab is for you to have a safe and controlled lab environment where you can practice hacking and penetration testing. Important! Please do not scan systems that do not belong to you or have legal permission to scan. Click here to download Vagrant. Scroll down to Windows and download based on the version of your Windows Operating System. 32-bit or 64-bit versions. For this example, I am using a 64-bit Windows version. Vagrant requires you to reboot your system after installation. Ensure to reboot your system on the prompt to reboot. Once rebooted, open your Windows command prompt. Using the following commands, install the vbguest plugins and Vagrant Reload. Type this command vagrant box add rapid7/metasploitable3-win2k8 and press enter to add the Metasploitable3 Windows Server2008 version to your system using Vagrant. Choose option 1 to use VirtualBox. Vagrant will go ahead and download the Windows version of Metasploitable3 from its online repository to your system. Open Windows Explorer, and locate the downloaded box at C:\Users\username.vagrant.d\boxes. Change the name of the folder from rapid7-VAGRANTSLASH-metasploitable3-win2k8 to metasploitable3-win2k8. Change your working directory to the location of the folder Metasploitable3 was downloaded. On your Windows Command Prompt, type cd .vagrant.d\boxes. Next, type vagrant init metasploitable3-win2k8 and press enter to start the initialization process. Tips: If you receive this error “Vagrant file already exists in this directory.” Remove it before running vagrant init.” Run this command vagrant init rapid7/metasploitable3-win2k8 –force to overide the existing vagrant. vagrant init {BOX_NAME} –force Type vagrant up and press enter. Upon successfully completing the setup process, The Windows Version of Metasploitable3 will be available in your VirtualBox Manager. In your VirtualBox Manager, rename your new Metasploitable3 Virtual Machine for easy identification. The default username and password are vagrant. Click here to learn more about Metasploitable3’s security vulnerability. How to Download Kali Linux Virtual Machine VirtualBox Next, we are going to download the Kali Linux virtual Machine. Click here to download the Kali Linux virtual machine from the official Kali website. Next, let’s configure the Networking so our Metasploitable3 can communicate with our Kali Linux VM. In VirtualBox Manager, Navigate to Settings > Network > Adapter1 > Attached to Host-Only Adapter, select and click the OK button. Let’s configure the Network Adapter2 for Metasploitable3. Settings > Network > Adapter2 > Attached to select Host-Only Adapter and click the OK button. In VirtualBox Manager, Click the Machine tab and click Add. Locate the downloaded Kali Linux Virtual machine on your system. Click on the folder and click the Open button to import the machine. Next, we will configure the Networking so our Kali Linux machine can communicate with our Metasploitable3 VM. In VirtualBox Manager, Navigate to Settings > Network > Adapter1 > Attached to select Bridge Adapter and click the OK button. Let’s configure the Network Adapter2 for the Kali Linux machine. Settings > Network > Adapter2 > Attached to select Host-Only Adapter and click the OK button. Start your machines and log in. The default credentials for Kali Linux are username: kali and password: kali. The default credentials for Metasploitable3 are Username: vagrant and Password: vagrant. Important! Please do not scan systems that do not belong to you or have legal permission to scan. Now, you have a new Windows Server 2008 Vulnerable machine that you can scan as a target for your ethical hacking practice. Open the command prompt. Type ipconfig and hit enter to find your IP address. Kali Linux is your attacking machine. Open your terminal, type ifconfig, and hit enter to find your IP address. Click here to learn How to perform Vulnerability Scanning using Nmap. Scanning our newly created Metasploitable3 VM as the target. References Rapid7 Metasploitable3 Kali Linux Vagrant

Understanding The Best Practices and Principles of Secure Network Design Secure Network design is very important in this increasingly technology world. It is critical for an organization to incorporate security into its network design. Secure network design is a comprehensive approach to creating a network infrastructure that is resistant to threats and vulnerabilities. It involves implementing various security measures, considering physical security, conducting regular assessments, and establishing security policies and procedures. By following the secure network design best practices, organizations can ensure that their networks are well-protected and that sensitive data remains secure. A secure network design encompasses various components and considerations to create a robust and resilient infrastructure. One of the key aspects of secure network design is the implementation of strong access controls. This involves using authentication mechanisms such as passwords, biometrics, or multi-factor authentication to verify the identity of users before granting them access to the network. Understanding Secure Network Design Secure network design refers to the process of creating a network infrastructure that is resilient against potential threats and vulnerabilities. It involves implementing various security measures and best practices to safeguard data and prevent unauthorized access. A secure network design encompasses several key elements, including: The Benefits of Secure Network Design Implementing a secure network design offers several benefits for organizations, including: 1. Protection of Sensitive Data A secure network design ensures that sensitive data, such as customer information, financial records, and intellectual property, is protected from unauthorized access. By implementing strong access controls and encryption mechanisms, organizations can prevent data breaches and maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information. 2. Prevention of Unauthorized Access By implementing robust perimeter security measures, organizations can prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to the network. Perimeter security involves the deployment of security controls, technologies, and protocols to secure the external boundary of an organization’s network or physical premises. It encompasses digital security measures such as Access Control, Firewalls, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), Endpoint Security Controls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), and Surveillance Systems. And physical security measures such as fences, gates, Sensors, and walls. To prevent unauthorized access and defend against external threats such as cyber-attacks, intrusions, theft, vandalism, and terrorism. Perimeter security helps safeguard critical assets, data, and resources, maintain business continuity, and comply with regulatory requirements. 3. Mitigation of Security Risks Secure network design helps organizations identify and mitigate potential security risks. Organizations can proactively address vulnerabilities and minimize the likelihood of security incidents by conducting regular risk assessments and implementing appropriate security controls. 4. Compliance with Regulatory Requirements Many industries have specific regulatory requirements regarding data security and privacy. Implementing a secure network design helps organizations ensure compliance with these regulations, avoiding penalties and reputational damage. 5. Increased Business Continuity A secure network design helps organizations maintain business continuity in the event of a security incident or cyber-attack. By implementing segmentation and backup systems, organizations can limit the impact of an attack and quickly recover critical systems and data. More ways a secure network design can increase business continuity include: A secure network design contributes to the overall efficiency and productivity of an organization. With a well-designed and secure network infrastructure, employees can access and share information quickly and securely, enabling seamless collaboration and effective communication. This leads to improved workflow and streamlined business processes. A secure network design helps organizations build trust and confidence among their customers and partners. When customers know that their data is protected and secure, they are more likely to engage in business transactions and share sensitive information. Similarly, partners and suppliers are more likely to collaborate with organizations that prioritize data security. A secure network design can help organizations reduce the costs associated with security incidents and data breaches. By investing in robust security measures upfront, organizations can avoid the financial and reputational consequences of a breach. This includes the costs of investigating and remediating the breach, notifying affected individuals, and potential legal liabilities. Overall, implementing a secure network design is essential for organizations to protect their sensitive data, prevent unauthorized access, mitigate security risks, ensure regulatory compliance, maintain business continuity, improve efficiency and productivity, build trust among stakeholders, and reduce the costs associated with security incidents. By prioritizing network security, organizations can safeguard their valuable assets and maintain a competitive edge in today’s digital landscape. Best Practices and Principles of Secure Network Design When designing a secure network, it is important to follow some principles and best practices to ensure the effectiveness of the security measures. Here are some key practices to consider: 1. Defense in Depth Adopting a defense-in-depth strategy involves Implementing multiple layers of security controls to provide a layer of defense against potential threats. This includes a combination of perimeter security such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS). Access controls, encryption, and monitoring systems. By deploying these multiple layers, organizations can create a more robust and resilient security infrastructure. 2. Network Segmentation Divide the network into smaller segments or subnets to contain potential security breaches. This helps limit the impact of an attack and prevents lateral movement within the network. By implementing network segmentation, organizations can isolate critical systems and sensitive data, making it more challenging for attackers to gain unauthorized access and move laterally through the entire network. 3. Principle of Least Privilege This means granting users the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions. By limiting user privileges, organizations can reduce the risk of unauthorized access and potential misuse of sensitive data. This principle ensures that users only have access to the resources they need, minimizing the attack surface and preventing unauthorized actions. 4. Redundancy and Resilience: Building redundancy and resilience into the network infrastructure ensures high availability and fault tolerance, minimizing the impact of disruptions and failures. 5. Regular Updates and Patching Keep network devices, operating systems, and software up to date with the latest security patches. Regular updates help address known vulnerabilities and protect against emerging threats. It is crucial to establish a robust patch management process that includes

What is Splunk Enterprise? Splunk Enterprise is a Security Information & Event Management SIEM solution that allows you to manage your data in one place. By providing a user-friendly dashboard to collect, analyze, visualize, and manage your data. Click here to download the Splunk Enterprise Installer from the Splunk website. Fill out the form to create your account for a free 60-day trial. Check your email for verification email from Splunk Click on the Verify Your Email button. You will be redirected to the download page Choose your installation package based on your operating system and click the Download Now button. I am using the Windows operating system in this example. Locate the installer and double-click the Splunk file. Click the check box to agree to the license agreement and click Next to continue the installation. Click on View Licence Agreement if you would like to view the license agreement (Optional). Click Customize Options if you want to change any default installation settings. We are using the default installation settings in this example. Click Next. Install Splunk Enterprise on the drive that booted your machine. Example C:\Program Files\Splunk Create a Splunk administration username and password. Check the Create Start Menu Shortcut box. Click the install button and wait while the setup wizard installs Splunk Enterprise. Check the box to Launch browser with Splunk Enterprise and Click Finish The installation was completed successfully, and Splunk will launch in your default browser. Log in with the administration username and password you created during installation.  Reference Splunk Enterprise Installation Manual