{"id":304,"date":"2026-04-28T16:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/oliviaweaver\/?page_id=304"},"modified":"2026-04-28T16:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:14:14","slug":"cyse-270","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/oliviaweaver\/cyse-270\/","title":{"rendered":"CYSE 270"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Linux Systems for Cybersecurity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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This course introduced me to Linux, an essential program used in many cybersecurity organizations. Prior to this class, I had very limited knowledge of the program apart from a SOC course I took online a few years ago. I was overwhelmed taking it then however this class provided an excellent building block structure to better understand the vast capabilities of Linux. I learned how to create files and edit them in vi, utilize a password cracker to understand the value of strong passwords, add and modify account users and groups, as well as the basics of shell scripting (how to create and execute them). Over time I gained confidence in applying the knowledge I learned through the assignments accomplished in the virtual machine we set up at the beginning of the semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This course greatly added to my technical knowledge that I will carry into future classes as well as into my career as a cybersecurity analyst. I believe with the skills I have learned it will allow me to become a more desirable candidate.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lab 1-Installing Linux<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 1 began the journey about learning the intricacies of Linux by ensuring it was installed correctly. After creating my account, I learned the first few basic commands in the program such as “whoami,” “date,” “ls,” etc. I learned the “ls” which is the list command that displays your information in the specified directory would become one of the most important commands to remember. No challenges arose for this lab which was nice as it offered a smooth beginning to the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 2-Working the Command line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 2 consisted of learning the basic essential commands in Linux. It was very overwhelming at first learning all the different commands but the assignment helped make them easier to come to mind as we applied our learning in an exciting way. We were also introduced to file systems and how Linux classifies directories and subdirectories via filepaths. One of the challenges for me was remembering the different ways to navigate a directory using the command “cd.” In Linux, using “cd” followed by a directed pathway takes you to that location but using “cd ..” moves you up one level. Additionally, I struggled with how to properly copy one file into a directory because I kept inputting the order incorrectly but after enough practice, I was able to understand and execute it properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the basics of Linux is imperative because these are the commands I would most often use in future labs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 3-Vi Editor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 3 introduced me to text editing software within the Linux program, the most common being Vi. This was a new concept to me because I was not even aware that Linux possessed the capability to write\/edit documents. I had to become accustomed to switching to “Insert” mode once creating a file in order to type inside the document followed by pressing “esc” to return to “Command” mode in order to save the document. The most valuable takeaway for me was learning the different ways to save a document which took a few tries to understand. The command “:wq” saves the edits you’ve made and returns you to the main terminal whereas “:q!” quits without saving or “:q” quits if no changes were made. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lab allowed me to understand the importance of editing documents which would be a useful skill in future labs and also in the cybersecurity profession. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 4-Managing User and Group Accounts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Lab 4 introduced me to user and group accounts in Linux. The biggest takeaway from this exercise was how to add, modify, and delete user and group accounts. I was also introduced to using “sudo” which is a root command that allows you to execute administrator privileges for one task. The hardest challenge for me was learning about the “\/etc\/password” and “\/etc\/shadow.” The “\/etc\/shadow” directory holds all of the information not easily seen to others such as the passwords for the individual accounts. It is only viewable by the root user and can be accessed using “sudo.” Additionally, I learned that there are different ways to modify a user’s secondary group with options such as “-g” which sets the primary group and “-G” appends a user to additional groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning the skills in this lab was essential because understanding how to create accounts and set permissions for those accounts (read, write, execute) is imperative to having stronger security in an organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 5-Password Cracking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 5 taught me the importance of having a strong password and incorporating them in my everyday use. Through this exercise, we used the RockYou wordlist which consisted of basic passwords that when executed for some time, would crack any simplistic password generated for a user account such as common dictionary words. Additionally, I learned that hash functions are fixed output lengths that are generated in place of the password provided and stored in the computer. The most challenging aspect about this lab was ensuring I created the proper accounts with easily identifiable passwords. I also had to make sure that the hashes of all six accounts were copied correctly into the file. After that, executing the RockYou wordlist was simple and surprising to see how many passwords it cracked in the span of a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My biggest takeaway overall was having a strong password in place that utilizes a mix of upper and lower case characters in addition to numbers and special characters is critical to ensuring that your account is protected online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 6-File Permissions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Lab 6 introduced me to File Permissions which was briefly addressed in Lab 4-User and Group Accounts. File Permissions are set up to give certain permissions to different users such as reading, writing, or executing files or a combination of a few. The hardest concept for me to grasp was the unmasking portion of the exercise to change a user’s permissions. In order to change a user’s file permissions, you can alter it using the symbolic method. I learned that each permission has an assigned value such as read (7), write (2), and execute (1). The “unmask” command subtracts the specified mask value (027) from the default maximum permissions to set the permissions for newly created files and directories. Other methods to changing permissions include the command “chmod” followed by the designed permission of choice to execute the decision made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, this lab helped me understand that by having permissions set for certain accounts, only those accounts have permission to those files and verifies that only those people have access to those files. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 7-Storage Management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 7 introduced the concept of storage management which is important for data organization. Storage management consists of local hard drives, USBs, or partitions which divide a physical storage into smaller components. Partition structures contain four primary partitions and anything after those four become local partitions, which is a subcategory. The most challenging aspect for this lab was ensuring that I correctly made a partition on the newly created disk drive along with the proper filesystem. The command “sudo mkfs -t ext4 \/dev\/sdb1\u201d creates an ext4 filesystem on the new partition which is what I needed after reviewing the module for this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lab taught me of the importance of managing storage for optimal use of data organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 8-Shell Scripting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 8 consisted of the concept of shell scripting which starts off as a similar process to text editing but you are writing commands to execute within the file instead. Every script begins with “#!\/bin\/bash” and there are many statements to remember in order to set the specific conditions you want. It is also important to remember that every file to be executed as a script must have the .sh extension. This was a challenging lab overall as I had to learn how to efficiently write my script to be executed correctly. Variables are important components to use in your scripts because they make automation easier when executing. Variables are stored like such: “$(variable).” Additionally, I learned that conditional statements that include the syntax terms “if” and “elif” must be followed by “then” if statement is not true. Always ending your script with “fi” is important to let the machine know your script is finished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, this lab taught me that shell scripts are an important aspect of Linux and allow users to execute commands based on the conditions they set in one file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 9-Task Automation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 9 was an extension of Lab 8 and taught me additional scripts using “crontab” and “at” commands. “Crontab” is a process which the user can set tasks to be executed hourly, every month, weekly etc. This is done based on the field order designated in the crontab (for example *\/5 * * * * command\/script executes that script every five minutes). We also practiced how to create “tar” files in the “\/var\/backup” location and how to compress them. This was the most challenging aspect for me because I could not get the current date to print on the file when I listed it in the “\/var\/backup” directory. After pouring over the modules and additional resources, I able to execute the date correctly with “$(date +”%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S”).tar.” After that, scheduling the “crontab” to run every three minutes could be executed in order to complete the exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, this lab built on the previous one in helping me further understand shell scripting and how to schedule tasks to be run based on the field input desired which is helpful when dealing with repeatable tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 10-Networking Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lab 10 introduced me to an overview of networks and IP addresses. Each device or host is assigned an IP address that identifies it on the network. IP addresses are made up of 32-bit binary numbers and are also represented in a decimal format. For this assignment, I was to practice subnetting which is the dividing of a larger network into smaller subnetworks. This was a challenging concept for me to grasp initially because I struggled to understand the conversion process of the netmask and classifying the network and broadcast address. After reading more into the process, I learned that the broadcast address is represented by the last octet in the overall address and the netmask represents the subnet mask boundary. From there with the help of a calculator, it was simple conversions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lab was a great introduction to networks and the terminology included with this topic such as “routers,” “switches,” “IP addresses,” etc. Understanding the concepts in this exercise forms a strong foundation for understanding how IP addresses work within a system of networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab 11-Basic Network Configuration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This lab introduced me to using NAT (Network Address Translation) in order to map a user’s private IP address publicly when sending data across a network and vice versa. With NAT, many devices can share the same IP address but differ from each other via port numbers. The exercise conducted in this lab familiarized me with using the NAT section of my virtual machine and further learn how to use the command “ifconfig,” “route,” “netstat,” and “host.” The concepts were fairly easy to follow so there were not too many challenges in completing the exercise. The most involved portion was permanently changing the “hostname” in “\/etc\/hostname” which involved using the vi editor executed with root privileges (“sudo”). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lab provided an excellent introduction in learning how to ping networks, search for a host’s IP address, and understand how to the read the route table and ip addresses using “ifconfig.” <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Linux Systems for Cybersecurity This course introduced me to Linux, an essential program used in many cybersecurity organizations. Prior to this class, I had very limited knowledge of the program apart from a SOC course I took online a few years ago. I was overwhelmed taking it then however this class provided an excellent building… <\/p>\n

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