🧠 Cybersecurity Lab Tracker – Oleh Borysovskyy

✅ Overview

This file tracks my progress through hands-on cybersecurity projects in my home lab, aligned with the CompTIA Security+ exam objectives and real-world penetration testing scenarios.

🖼️ Lab Network Diagram

## 🖼️ Lab Network Diagram

📅 Activity Log

Date	Task/Experiment	Tools Used	Notes
2025-04-10	Scanned Windows Server 2025 w/ Nmap	Nmap	Found open ports: 22, 80, 445
2025-04-11	Enum4linux scan on target	Enum4linux	Pulled domain info via SMB
2025-04-12	Created tracker + updated README.md	Markdown	Polished repo presentation

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🔍 Recon & Scanning Progress

• Nmap scanning
• Netdiscover
• Enum4linux
• Nikto
• Dirb / Gobuster

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💥 Exploitation Techniques Practiced

Technique	Target	Status	Notes
SMB Exploitation	Windows Server 2025	✅ Complete	SMBv1 confirmed; tested exploits
SSH Brute Force	Windows Server 2025	🔄 In Progress	Hydra attempts; account lockout triggered

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🛡 Hardening & Monitoring Progress

• Installed Sysmon on Server
• Enabled Windows Defender rules
• Setup Wazuh Manager (Coming soon)
• Configure log forwarding to Wazuh
• Write Sigma detection rules

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📖 Security+ Study Tracker

Domain	% Complete	Notes
1.0 Threats, Attacks, & Vulns	80%	Reviewing port/protocol questions
2.0 Architecture & Design	60%	Diagrams & secure configs
3.0 Implementation	70%	Practicing tools in lab
4.0 Operations & Incident Resp	40%	Will start blue team exercises
5.0 Governance & Risk	50%	Notes from HRCI cert helping here

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📂 Key Repo Links

• 🔗 recon_logs/
• 🔗 exploitation/
• 🔗 post_exploitation/
• 🔗 SIEM_IDS/

🛡️ 30-Day CompTIA Security+ (701) Lab-Integrated Study Plan

📆 Week 1: Core Security Concepts + Basic Attacks

🧠 Focus Areas:

• CIA triad, threat actors, frameworks
• Malware, social engineering, risk concepts
• Network attacks and terminology 🧪 Lab Tasks:
• Simulate phishing with Kali (SET)
• Capture Nmap and traffic with Wireshark
• Document attack types in tracker

Day 1 (Saturday, April 12):

• Study topics from Week 1
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 2 (Sunday, April 13):

• Study topics from Week 1
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 3 (Monday, April 14):

• Study topics from Week 1
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 4 (Tuesday, April 15):

• Study topics from Week 1
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 5 (Wednesday, April 16):

• Study topics from Week 1
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 6 (Thursday, April 17):

• Study topics from Week 1
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 7 (Friday, April 18):

• Study topics from Week 1
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

📆 Week 2: Network Security + Secure Design

🧠 Focus Areas:

• Secure protocols (HTTPS, SSH, SFTP)
• Network segmentation, firewall, proxies
• Monitoring and hardening basics 🧪 Lab Tasks:
• Analyze traffic with Wireshark
• Set up SSH and secure router
• Configure iptables/UFW and scan ports

Day 8 (Saturday, April 19):

• Study topics from Week 2
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 9 (Sunday, April 20):

• Study topics from Week 2
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 10 (Monday, April 21):

• Study topics from Week 2
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 11 (Tuesday, April 22):

• Study topics from Week 2
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 12 (Wednesday, April 23):

• Study topics from Week 2
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 13 (Thursday, April 24):

• Study topics from Week 2
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 14 (Friday, April 25):

• Study topics from Week 2
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

📆 Week 3: Identity, Access, and SIEM

🧠 Focus Areas:

• MFA, RBAC, tokens, account policies
• Active Directory, Kerberos, LDAP
• SIEM (Wazuh), logging, Sysmon 🧪 Lab Tasks:
• Set up AD users and roles
• Deploy Wazuh and explore logs
• Harden access control policies

Day 15 (Saturday, April 26):

• Study topics from Week 3
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 16 (Sunday, April 27):

• Study topics from Week 3
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 17 (Monday, April 28):

• Study topics from Week 3
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 18 (Tuesday, April 29):

• Study topics from Week 3
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 19 (Wednesday, April 30):

• Study topics from Week 3
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 20 (Thursday, May 01):

• Study topics from Week 3
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 21 (Friday, May 02):

• Study topics from Week 3
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

📆 Week 4: Hardening + Review + Practice Exams

🧠 Focus Areas:

• System updates, patching, services
• Incident response, BCP, DRP
• Practice exams and review 🧪 Lab Tasks:
• Harden Windows & Linux OS
• Simulate and analyze mock incidents
• Final walkthrough of all systems

Day 22 (Saturday, May 03):

• Study topics from Week 4
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 23 (Sunday, May 04):

• Study topics from Week 4
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 24 (Monday, May 05):

• Study topics from Week 4
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 25 (Tuesday, May 06):

• Study topics from Week 4
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 26 (Wednesday, May 07):

• Study topics from Week 4
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 27 (Thursday, May 08):

• Study topics from Week 4
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

Day 28 (Friday, May 09):

• Study topics from Week 4
• Complete at least one lab task
• Take notes in SECURITYPLUS_LAB_TRACKER.md

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💡 Tip: Aim for 85–90% on practice tests before booking your exam.

🛡️ Cybersecurity Home Lab - Isolated Network Setup Progress

Goal

Establish a functional isolated lab network environment for penetration testing, consisting of:

• Windows Server 2025 (Target Machine)
• Kali Linux (Attacker Machine)
• Windows 7 Virtual Machine (Secondary Target for Multi-Host Attack Simulation)

All systems operate on a dedicated 192.168.1.0/24 subnet via a Netgear router, with no internet exposure.

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Key Steps Completed

🛧️ 1. Network Setup Verification

• Physical machines (Windows Server 2025 and Kali Linux) successfully connected to the Netgear router.
• Verified correct IP address assignment on the 192.168.1.0/24 network.

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🖥️ 2. Bridging the Windows 7 VM (VirtualBox)

• Configured VM network adapter:
  • Mode: Bridged Adapter
  • Interface: Realtek Gaming 2.5GbE Family Controller
• Initial Issue:
  • Windows 7 VM received APIPA address (169.254.x.x), indicating DHCP failure.
• Resolution:
  • Verified physical Ethernet connection from Windows 11 host to router.
  • Confirmed proper network adapter selected in VirtualBox settings.
  • Rebooted Windows 11 host — Windows 7 VM then successfully obtained a DHCP IP address within the 192.168.1.0/24 subnet.

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🌐 3. Verifying Network Connectivity

• Inside the Windows 7 VM:
  • Ran ipconfig to confirm valid IP assignment (e.g., 192.168.1.3).
• From Kali Linux:
  • Ran nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24 to discover live hosts.
  • Successfully identified the Windows 7 VM on the network.

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🔎 4. Scanning the Windows 7 VM with Nmap

• Full TCP port scan:

  sudo nmap -sV -p- 192.168.1.3
  

  • Only port 1716 reported as open (tcpwrapped).

• Targeted scan for common Windows ports:

  sudo nmap -sV -p 135,445,3389 192.168.1.3
  

  • No additional open ports found.

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🔥 5. Troubleshooting Blocked Ports

• Identified Windows Firewall on the Windows 7 VM likely blocking incoming traffic.
• Discussed two options:
  • Disable Windows Firewall temporarily (faster testing for isolated labs).
  • Create specific Inbound Rules to allow traffic on selected ports (real-world best practice).

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🧹 Current Status

• Network connectivity between Kali, Windows Server 2025, and Windows 7 VM is confirmed.
• Open ports and services on Windows 7 VM are currently restricted by firewall settings.
• Next steps involve:
  • Adjusting Windows Firewall settings.
  • Verifying key services (services.msc) like:
    • File and Printer Sharing
    • Remote Desktop Services
  • Using netstat -ano to confirm listening ports.

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🚀 Next Actions

• Configure Windows 7 firewall rules to open desired ports (135, 445, 3389).
• Validate services are running and reachable for exploitation or lateral movement simulations.

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✅ Lab connectivity established. Vulnerability exposure and service hardening testing next phase ready.

• 🔗 reports/

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🔚 Notes

This tracker will be updated regularly as I advance through projects, attacks, defense, and study objectives. It's part of my portfolio toward landing a cybersecurity analyst role.