CYSE 270

CYSE 270 – Linux Systems for Cybersecurity

Course Description
This course introduces the basic operations in major Linux distros for cybersecurity using
both graphical interface and command-line interface. Students will learn about the basic
installation and configuration, file systems management, shell scripts, and user
authentication in Linux systems.

Lab Reflections – A summary of all labs/assignments we did throughout the course:

Lab 1 – Create a Virtual Machine

  • My experience completing Lab 1 was my first time installing a virtual machine on my PC. My former experience with Linux past this point has been through using the command prompt on my own machine.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Installing the VM for the first time.
  • Challenges: Long installment time
  • Overall takeaway: I now have downloaded not only a VirtualBox, but also a kali disk; and have knowledge of installing a virtual machine.

Lab 2 – Working with Command Line

  • My experience completing Lab 2 was learning the basics of using command prompt on a virtual machine. Nothing too challenging compared to other material we learn further on.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Using the Command Prompt inside the virtual machine.
  • Challenges: None
  • Overall takeaway: Using the command prompt with a VM is not that far off using your typical command prompt.

Lab 3 – VI Editor

  • My experience completing Lab 3 was pleasant using my preferred VI editor to edit text files through the Kali Linux virtual machine.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Using different text editors in Linux (vim, emacs, nano, etc.)
  • Challenges: Some editors suck
  • Overall takeaway: Using your preferred editor, is amazing to use on Linux.

Lab 4 – User and Group Accounts

  • My experience completing Lab 4 was learning how to create and view user accounts, groups, and permissions.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Manage and view user and group accounts
  • Challenges: None
  • Overall takeaway: Gateway introduction to root users and groups, as well as managing group/user permissions.

Lab 5 – Security Policy and password cracking

  • My experience completing Lab 5 was learning about Linux tools, like Wireshark and John the Ripper the one that I seem to used the most for this class.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Professional use of the John the Ripper tool
  • Challenges: Execute time was typically a long process
  • Overall takeaway: I learned how to use the John the Ripper tool and create users and passwords for said users.

Lab 6 – File Permissions

  • My experience completing Lab 6 was very easy going; learned about granting and viewing file permissions, commands, and numerical values.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Read, Write, and Execute permissions and their numerical values (4, 2, and 1)
  • Challenges: None
  • Overall takeaway: Really loved this part as this is one that I remember very well.

Lab 7 – Storage Management

  • My experience completing Lab 7 was for the first time learning more about the hard disk as the kali disk was another part of the Linux machine.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Checking and creating a new Hard disk
  • Challenges: Creating it was hard to get the first try
  • Overall takeaway: I got to learn more about the hard disk and creating one through the Linux machine.

Lab 8 – Shell Scripting

  • My experience completing Lab 8 was shell scripting using similar language to python, a coding language that I really enjoy using.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Command Prompt Shell Scripting through the Kali Linux virtual machine
  • Challenges: Shell Scripting was trial and error; long process to get it right
  • Overall takeaway: I learned to code through Linux virtual machine and through the command prompt.

Lab 9 – Automation tasks

  • My experience completing Lab 9 was very stressful for this segment; I never actually got the expected result and never really understood how to manage the automation task.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Creating a Crontab file to schedule a shell script task in x amount of minutes
  • Challenges: I never actually got this to work/still not sure why
  • Overall takeaway: not the most pleasant experience, but worth to try than to not try at all.

Lab 10 – Networking Basics and Subnetting

  • My experience completing Lab 10 was very short, though tricky, but not impossible and it was just number conversion which made this only partially difficult.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Converting networks to IP addresses and Binary format
  • Challenges: Trying to accomplish this outside of the module slides is VERY difficult
  • Overall takeaway: A difficult but neat task and something interesting to take away from this semester.

Lab 11 – Basic Network Configuration

  • My experience completing Lab 11 was the easier of tasks throughout this semester, which is funny cause for being the last module/task it subverted my expectation of how much more difficult the material would get.
  • Key skills or concepts learned: Running the Linux machine through NAT Mode and Bridge Mode
  • Challenges: None
  • Overall takeaway: This was our last lab/assignment done and it’s neat to see how far we’ve gotten to learning the virtual machine and using Linux.

Overall Reflection – Final take away from this course:

I’ll honestly miss this class, there were very high moments and funny memories of Kahoots and never-ending victories from the middle table. It was a great experience learning the ins and outs of the Linux Virtual Machine, with a solid professor and simple, short, and to-the-point modules. The class structure really helped in my academic success as the modules were broke down to short quizzes and assignments that wrapped up the modules. I really enjoyed the professor, he was really easy going, made a really chill and pleasant class environment, and explained the material in a straight-forward and simple matter. To sum it up, I’ll miss this class going forward, and will gladly take the many things that I have learned though Linux Systems in Cybersecurity.