Systems Administration 1

This package consists of CYRIN labs focusing on the NIST National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Systems Administration specialty area. Completing these labs will help you learn the skills needed for a job in the area.

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

EXPECTED DURATION

13 hours, self-paced. Pause and continue at any time.
13 CPEs awarded on successful completion

• Log Analysis with RSYSLOG

  This lab teaches students to setup and configure a central RSYSLOG server that will receive and store logs from FreeBSD, Linux and Windows clients.

  Students will learn to configure log forwarding on the clients, and log rotation and filtering on the server. They will also learn to use Logwatch to analyze logs and fail2ban to automatically respond to suspicious activity found in the logs.

• Secure Configuration of the Apache Web Server

  Students will learn how to set up a web server securely by configuring the commonly-used Apache HTTP Server^® on a Linux system. Security options will be explored, including location/directory restrictions, permissions, authentication, and SSL configuration.

• Deploying a LAMP Stack

  Students will learn about the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack and will deploy a LAMP stack running an application written in PHP. LAMP is one of the most common software stacks for many of the web’s most popular applications. This lab is brought to you by the Rochester Institute of Technology Global Cybersecurity Institute.

  Students will set up a LAMP stack to run WordPress, a PHP application. They will set up a MySQL database for use by the WordPress application, and will configure Apache to serve up the PHP pages for the application.

  Students will learn just enough of the MySQL command line and of Apache configuration needed to deploy a LAMP stack. They can learn more about MySQL and Apache configuration in the labs An Introduction to MariaDB and MySQL, Secure Configuration of the Apache Web Server, and Secure SSL Configuration in Apache.

• Introduction to Shell Scripts

  The ability to read and write shell scripts is an essential skill for system administrators. They are used to automate frequently executed tasks, saving system administrators time and reducing the likelihood of mistakes. This lab is brought to you by the Rochester Institute of Technology Global Cybersecurity Institute.

  In this lab students will learn to write a simple Bash script that automates the task of creating user accounts, adding accounts to a group, and creating a shared workspace for this group.

• Exploring the Windows and Linux Command Lines

  The Linux and Windows command lines are powerful tools that allow software developers, system administrators, and users to quickly and efficiently perform tasks, without the need for a graphical user interface (GUI). Command line interfaces eliminate the need for scrolling through and clicking on GUI tabs and dialogs. The ability to use the command line is essential for managing Linux servers that typically do not have graphical user interfaces.

  This lab introduces the Windows Command Prompt and PowerShell, and the Linux Terminal. It goes beyond the basics of the Windows PowerShell and Terminal covered by the Getting Started with CYRIN lab.

• Windows Operating Systems Fundamentals for Systems Administrators

  In this lab students will learn the fundamentals of Windows Operating System administration. They will use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) for device and disk management, viewing events, managing users and user groups, and scheduling tasks. They will also learn about the Windows Registry and how to view and change registry settings.

• Introduction to MariaDB and MySQL

  This lab will introduce students to MariaDB and MySQL by having them create a database, add tables to the database, populate data tables, and retrieve information from the database. They will do this using the MySQL command line interface. This lab is brought to you by the Rochester Institute of Technology Global Cybersecurity Institute.

  MariaDB is a fork for the widely used MySQL database management system (DBMS). Both are open-source software and are largely compatible.

• Installing and Configuring Active Directory

  Active Directory (AD) is a set of services provided by a Microsoft Windows Domain Controller (DC) to manage a network. It stores information about users and network resources such as computers on the network. AD simplifies network management: Security policies can be defined on the AD and applied to all computers in the domain. User accounts can be created and managed centrally using the Active Directory Administrative Center. This lab is brought to you by the Rochester Institute of Technology-Global Cybersecurity Institute.

  In this lab students will learn to install AD on a Windows DC, join computers to the domain, and create domain user accounts. After completing this lab, students are encouraged to do the CYRIN Using Active Directory to Manage Domain User Accounts lab, where they will learn to set up AD security policies and assign them to users and organizational units.