{"id":377,"date":"2026-10-14T13:59:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T13:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyse200tethan\/?page_id=377"},"modified":"2026-10-16T20:24:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T20:24:48","slug":"learning-reflection-and-references","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyse200tethan\/learning-reflection-and-references\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Reflection from CYSE 608"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Learning Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the start of this course, I was able to recognize a lot of the topics from studying for Security+ exam. I knew the terms and definitions but while studying for Sec+ I did not get any real practice from using the Windows tools myself. The papers due every week let me review the concepts and use them as a refresher and sometimes even teach new topics. The labs gave me a actual chance to use what I have applied from the course to the lab itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DHCP was one topic that made more sense after the research assignment. I understood that it assigned IP addresses, but I learned more about the other settings it provides. I could see why having a server handle those settings would be useful in an office with many computers. It also helped me understand what to check when a device has a connection problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Windows Fundamentals labs had me explore tools I do not always use during normal computer use. I looked through Computer Management and System Information. I also reviewed Resource Monitor and Task Manager. Each tool gave me a different view of what was happening on the computer. I now have a better idea of where to look for information before making a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting More Comfortable with Commands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PowerShell is an area where I definitely still need more practice in. In the labs, I used it to check firewall profiles and review different rules. Seeing the actual output helped me connect a command with the setting it was checking easier and made me actually understand what I was doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My research also covered PowerShell commands for Active Directory. Reading about them showed me how administrators can use commands for account management. I use commands with Active Directory at work but it is not too in depth so learning this helped a lot and I can use it at my job now. I do not expect to remember every command I didn’t know right away but I do want to understand how to find the right one and use it correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The TCP\/IP lab also gave me practice with Command Prompt since I was able to used ipconfig \/all to review all of the network settings. The lab covered netstat and how a process ID can be used to find the program behind a connection. That gave me more information to work with than just knowing whether the computer was connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Challenge I Worked Through<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One problem I have had was finding the firewall settings in Local Group Policy Editor. The instructions showed a Policies folder but that folder was not in the same place on my screen. This resulted in me having to snoop around and eventually find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That experience reminded me of one time that instructions will not always match what I actually see. I need to understand which setting that I am trying to reach and once I found the firewall section, I could create the rule and continue with the lab. If I run into a similar problem again I will make sure to check the tool and its layout instead of assuming I opened the wrong thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How My Understanding Changed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The firewall labs helped me see how much the details of a rule matter. A rule has a direction and an action. Its port settings and network profiles also affect which traffic it controls. I had to check those details when creating the lab rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also learned the difference between disabling a rule and disabling a firewall profile. Turning off one rule does not turn off the whole firewall. Disabling a profile is a much bigger change. After testing, I needed to restore the profile and clean up the temporary rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This changed how I would approach a blocked connection. I would check the profile and relevant rules first. I would try to find the cause before changing anything. Once I made a change, I would check the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using What I Learned<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I work full time in IT while completing my master\u2019s degree. I want to keep improving my troubleshooting skills and become more comfortable with Windows administration. The work in this course gives me things I can continue practicing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I currently work as an IT Administrative Assistant at Triton Stone Group. I help manage devices and set up equipment for employees. I also work with tools such as Entra ID, Intune, and Workspace ONE. Before this job, I worked at IPConfigure building and configuring servers. That experience gave me a starting point for the course because I had already worked with hardware and some administration tools. My experience with Entra ID also gave me something to compare with what I read about Active Directory. The course taught me more about Windows domain management and gave me practice with firewall rules and PowerShell. Those are areas where I still want to build my skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Active Directory assignment was useful because account access is an important part of IT work. It helped me review why users should only have the permissions they need. It also showed why administrator accounts need extra care. A small account change can affect what someone is able to access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still have a lot to learn whether its in school or in work environment there is always something I gain knowledge on especially on PowerShell and domain administration. I do feel more prepared to investigate Windows problems than I did before these assignments. My next step is to try and apply these tools and work and get more practice so I can be more confident with them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Learning Reflection At the start of this course, I was able to recognize a lot of the topics from studying for Security+ exam. I knew the terms and definitions but while studying for Sec+ I did not get any real practice from using the Windows tools myself. The papers due every week let me review… <\/p>\n

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