Cyber Operator 1 - Job Role Training

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Looking to become a Cyber Operator? This package consists of CYRIN labs focusing on that NIST National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) work role. Completing these labs will help you learn the skills needed for a job in the area. A follow-on package, "Cyber Operator 2" is also available for more in-depth practice with these job skills.

PREREQUISITES

Prerequisites vary by lab, but are generally: familiarity with the Unix/Linux command line and basic networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, etc.).

EXPECTED DURATION

20 hours, self-paced. Pause and continue at any time.

COURSE CONTENTS AND LABS

• Firewall Configuration with IPtables
  Students will configure a network firewall using the standard Linux iptables module. The exercise will include both ingress and egress filtering, stateful packet inspection, and best practices. More advanced techniques such as port knocking will also be introduced. Evaluation will include network probes from both inside and outside the firewall to ensure proper rules are configured.
• Identifying Live Machines and Services on an Unknown Network
  Students will use tools such as nmap, unicornscan, and fping to identify systems on a local network, including both Unix and Windows targets. Students will identify the operating systems these systems are running, as well as the types of network services they are providing.
• Service Identification
  Students will configure a network firewall using the standard Linux iptables module. The exercise will include both ingress and egress filtering, stateful packet inspection, and best practices. More advanced techniques such as port knocking will also be introduced. Evaluation will include network probes from both inside and outside the firewall to ensure proper rules are configured.
• Introduction to Metasploit
  Students will gain experience with the widely-used open source Metasploit® framework and related tools for exploiting vulnerable software and insecure system configurations. The exercise leads students through the entire process, from scanning the network to getting remote shells and accessing sensitive information. By seeing the tools available to potential attackers, students will gain a greater appreciation for the need to keep software up-to-date and securely configured.
• Introduction to Automating Security Analysis with SPARTA
  Students will build on the results of labs in the Web Application Security Analysis and Network Monitoring categories by using the SPARTA network infrastructure penetration testing tool, a graphical application that automates many common vulnerability assessment tasks. Students will use SPARTA within a graphical Kali Linux environment, scanning multiple unknown target systems and exploring found weaknesses.
• Web Application Security Analysis using OWASP-ZAP
  Students will use the OWASP program’s ZAP tool suite from within Kali Linux to scan multiple web services and document vulnerabilities. Students will see ZAP in action on a vulnerable web site where entire database tables are available to potential attackers.
• Web Site Reconnaissance
  Web site reconnaissance is about gathering information about a web site. Of course, there is information published on the website that is intended for people to see. Then there is information such as the name and version of the software used in the website and information about databases used by web applications on the site. This is information the website owner may not want known but can be discovered using techniques covered by CYRIN labs in the Network Monitoring and Recon and Web Application Security Analysis categories.
• Introductory File System Forensics
  Disk-based analysis is the cornerstone of cyber forensics, whether it be to track what a suspect was doing or simply to recover accidentally deleted files. This lab introduces students to the process of imaging and forensically analyzing disks, including finding artifacts such as deleted files. The free Autopsy® forensic browser will be used in addition to command-line programs from the open-source Sleuth Kit® tool set.
• Introduction to Memory Analysis with Rekall
  Analyzing a suspect system "live", before disconnecting it and imaging the disks, often yields valuable forensic evidence. Further, it can help you determine whether a crime has been committed at all, or whether the system contains evidence at all, thereby avoiding time-consuming examination of irrelevant machines. Rekall is an advanced, open-source memory capture and analysis framework that has expanded to include a variety of live incident response tools. This lab introduces students to the Rekall framework, both for extracting evidence from memory images and for analyzing the current live state of the system. Students will learn about several Rekall tools, both on the command line and via the interactive console, for analyzing memory images. Students will then analyze several images of Windows systems with in-memory malware.
• Capture the Flag Scenario I
  One of the most important skills in cyber defense is the ability to think like an attacker. How will an adversary break in to your systems? Are your sensitive files properly hidden from prying eyes? Can a dedicated attacker steal encryption keys that would allow them to impersonate you? Knowing how such attacks might work helps you securely configure and defend your systems.

NIST NICE FRAMEWORK - JOB WORK ROLE

• CYBER OPERATOR