Course Description

This course (CYSE270)  introduces the basic operations in major Linux systems for cybersecurity using both graphical user interfaces (GUI’s)  and the terminal (using the command line to do individual tasks instead of clicking on options with a mouse). In this course I learned about basic installation and configuration of different virtual machines, file systems management pertaining to parsing out storage for said files (also making directories, changing file permissions, basic file editors and commands unique to those, etc.), command shell scripts (scripts – code that executes a complex command by opening the file), and user authentication (access control lists – who gets access to what and what kind of access: read, write, execute) in Linux systems. I learned how to tighten the security in all these aspects of Linux and Linux-based systems – Ubuntu, for example. 

This practical experience made me comfortable working on and tightening security for multiple operating systems. It also showed me multiple ways of doing the same thing in Linux and Linux-based systems. Multiple ways of completing cybersecurity tasks are essential in the workforce, as there are times when GUI’s will fail/crash and I will need to do things manually through a command line terminal.

Course Material

 Embedded below is a lab report with many pictures and easy explanations of how to add users, groups (put users in groups), change permissions for files for said users and groups, change group ID’s/user ID’s, and more. This taught me how an administrator would help set up a professional work environment with multiple groups of employees that have different file access permissions. Obviously, the boss (CEO) will have more access and different kinds of permissions than your average employee, supervisor, etc. The weakest link in the cybersecurity chain is the individual, so tightening security and permissions surrounding the individuals is of the utmost importance. This assignment helped drive that point home.

Lab-Report-4