COURSE

Secure Network Access

Course

In this IT Pro Challenge virtual lab, you will get hands-on experience as a Windows administrator, setting up security to harden your Windows domain. You will learn how to implement and enforce IPSEC, configure a PPTP VPN, and set up a client VPN connection. These skills are essential for a security-focused Windows administrator.

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1

H

0

M
Time

Intermediate

i
Designed for learners who have no prior work experience in IT or Cybersecurity, but are interested in starting a career in this exciting field.
Designed for learners with prior cybersecurity work experience who are interested in advancing their career or expanding their skillset.
Designed for learners with a solid grasp of foundational IT and cybersecurity concepts who are interested in pursuing an entry-level security role.
Experience Level

1551

Enrollees

600

XP

i

Earn qualifying credits for certification renewal with completion certificates provided for submission.
CEU's

Learners at 96% of Fortune 1000 companies trust Cybrary

About this course

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Skills you'll gain

Course Outline

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Course Description

Lab Overview:

This hands-on lab provides a Windows server and domain administrator with an understanding of how to configure essential security settings for your domain. You will learn how to enforce the use of Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) with IP Security (IPSec) between your Windows hosts within your environment. You will then learn how to configure a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) Virtual Private Network (VPN) on your server and set up your client to use the new VPN connection. These skills will help you understand fundamental security controls within a Windows domain and valuable skills for someone pursuing a career as a security-focused Windows Administrator.

Understand the scenario

You are a system administrator for a company that uses Windows servers and clients. You need to configure IPsec to encrypt local area network traffic between Windows hosts. You must also ensure that remote users have a secure connection to the private corporate network. First, you will configure an IPsec policy in Group Policy, and then you will configure a PPTP VPN server and client.

Configure IPsec to encrypt LAN traffic:

IP Security (IPSec) is a protocol for securing IP traffic over networks by applying encryption for tunneling. IPSec supports network-level peer authentication, data origin authentication, data integrity, data confidentiality (encryption), and replay protection. For this task, you will modify the group policy for your domain to enable IPSec for all computers in your domain. This will enable tunnel mode encryption, which will encrypt the whole IP packet, including its headers and payload, for all TCP/IP traffic from Windows hosts within your domain.

Configure a PPTP VPN server on DC1:

Microsoft Windows servers have built-in capability to provide point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP) virtual private network (VPN) service. The VPN allows clients to access your network and internet resources remotely by encrypting their connection and forcing traffic through a trusted security stack. In this section, you will use the server manager to install and configure the VPN service on your server.

Configure a VPN connection on Client1:

A client-based VPN connection is important for securing access to a company's intranet and for enforcing strong security policies for remote users. For example, if your employees are forced to work from home due to a virus outbreak, your organization runs the risk of users not having a strong perimeter security stack to protect their access to the internet. Using a VPN will force the users to go through your organization's defensive stack while they work from their remote locations. In this section, you will use your Windows 10 workstation and learn how to set up a new PPTP VPN connection using the previously configured VPN service on your Windows server.

Lab Summary Conclusion:

As an administrator in a Windows Server environment, it is essential to understand the basic security controls available to you to secure your domain. This hands-on lab introduces you to very important capabilities that are native to a Windows environment. You will learn to manage group policy security settings, which enable you to enforce controls that align with strong cybersecurity policy and posture. You will also learn about the native VPN capability of a Windows server. You will set up a PPTP VPN and then configure your client to use it, increasing the security of your network activity. These skills are essential for someone who is pursuing a career as a Windows administrator.

Other Challenges in this series

  • GUIDED CHALLENGE: Hiding Data with Steganography
  • ADVANCED CHALLENGE: Can You Secure Hardened Windows and Linux Hosts?

‍

Train Your Team

Cybrary’s expert-led cybersecurity courses help your team remediate skill gaps and get up-to-date on certifications. Utilize Cybrary to stay ahead of emerging threats and provide team members with clarity on how to learn, grow, and advance their careers within your organization.

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Included in a Path

Network Engineer
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Instructors

Pete Cipolone
Cyber Security Analyst and Programmer
Read Full Bio
Learn

Learn core concepts and get hands-on with key skills.

Practice

Exercise your problem-solving and creative thinking skills with security-centric puzzles

Prove

Assess your knowledge and skills to identify areas for improvement and measure your growth

Get Hands-on Learning

Put your skills to the test in virtual labs, challenges, and simulated environments.

Measure Your Progress

Track your skills development from lesson to lesson using the Cybrary Skills Tracker.

Connect with the Community

Connect with peers and mentors through our supportive community of cybersecurity professionals.

Success from Our Learners

"Cybrary really helped me get up to speed and acquire a baseline level of technical knowledge. It offers a far more comprehensive approach than just learning from a book. It actually shows you how to apply cybersecurity processes in a hands-on way"

Don Gates

Principal Systems Engineer/SAIC

"Cybrary’s SOC Analyst career path was the difference maker, and was instrumental in me landing my new job. I was able to show the employer that I had the right knowledge and the hands-on skills to execute the role."

Cory

Cybersecurity analyst/

"I was able to earn my CISSP certification within 60 days of signing up for Cybrary Insider Pro and got hired as a Security Analyst conducting security assessments and penetration testing within 120 days. This certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Cybrary mentor community."

Mike

Security Engineer and Pentester/

"Cybrary really helped me get up to speed and acquire a baseline level of technical knowledge. It offers a far more comprehensive approach than just learning from a book. It actually shows you how to apply cybersecurity processes in a hands-on way"

Don Gates

Principal Systems Engineer/SAIC

"Cybrary’s SOC Analyst career path was the difference maker, and was instrumental in me landing my new job. I was able to show the employer that I had the right knowledge and the hands-on skills to execute the role."

Cory

Cybersecurity analyst/

"I was able to earn my CISSP certification within 60 days of signing up for Cybrary Insider Pro and got hired as a Security Analyst conducting security assessments and penetration testing within 120 days. This certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Cybrary mentor community."

Mike

Security Engineer and Pentester/

"Becoming a Cybrary Insider Pro was a total game changer. Cybrary was instrumental in helping me break into cybersecurity, despite having no prior IT experience or security-related degree. Their career paths gave me clear direction, the instructors had real-world experience, and the virtual labs let me gain hands-on skills I could confidently put on my resume and speak to in interviews."

Cassandra

Information Security Analyst/Cisco Systems

"I was able to earn both my Security+ and CySA+ in two months. I give all the credit to Cybrary. I’m also proud to announce I recently accepted a job as a Cyber Systems Engineer at BDO... I always try to debunk the idea that you can't get a job without experience or a degree."

Casey

Cyber Systems Engineer/BDO

"Cybrary has helped me improve my hands-on skills and pass my toughest certification exams, enabling me to achieve 13 advanced certifications and successfully launch my own business. I love the practice tests for certification exams, especially, and appreciate the wide-ranging training options that let me find the best fit for my goals"

Angel

Founder,/ IntellChromatics.

courses

Secure Network Access

In this IT Pro Challenge virtual lab, you will get hands-on experience as a Windows administrator, setting up security to harden your Windows domain. You will learn how to implement and enforce IPSEC, configure a PPTP VPN, and set up a client VPN connection. These skills are essential for a security-focused Windows administrator.

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1
H 
0
M
Time
Intermediate
difficulty
ceu/cpe

Course Content

Course Description

Lab Overview:

This hands-on lab provides a Windows server and domain administrator with an understanding of how to configure essential security settings for your domain. You will learn how to enforce the use of Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) with IP Security (IPSec) between your Windows hosts within your environment. You will then learn how to configure a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) Virtual Private Network (VPN) on your server and set up your client to use the new VPN connection. These skills will help you understand fundamental security controls within a Windows domain and valuable skills for someone pursuing a career as a security-focused Windows Administrator.

Understand the scenario

You are a system administrator for a company that uses Windows servers and clients. You need to configure IPsec to encrypt local area network traffic between Windows hosts. You must also ensure that remote users have a secure connection to the private corporate network. First, you will configure an IPsec policy in Group Policy, and then you will configure a PPTP VPN server and client.

Configure IPsec to encrypt LAN traffic:

IP Security (IPSec) is a protocol for securing IP traffic over networks by applying encryption for tunneling. IPSec supports network-level peer authentication, data origin authentication, data integrity, data confidentiality (encryption), and replay protection. For this task, you will modify the group policy for your domain to enable IPSec for all computers in your domain. This will enable tunnel mode encryption, which will encrypt the whole IP packet, including its headers and payload, for all TCP/IP traffic from Windows hosts within your domain.

Configure a PPTP VPN server on DC1:

Microsoft Windows servers have built-in capability to provide point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP) virtual private network (VPN) service. The VPN allows clients to access your network and internet resources remotely by encrypting their connection and forcing traffic through a trusted security stack. In this section, you will use the server manager to install and configure the VPN service on your server.

Configure a VPN connection on Client1:

A client-based VPN connection is important for securing access to a company's intranet and for enforcing strong security policies for remote users. For example, if your employees are forced to work from home due to a virus outbreak, your organization runs the risk of users not having a strong perimeter security stack to protect their access to the internet. Using a VPN will force the users to go through your organization's defensive stack while they work from their remote locations. In this section, you will use your Windows 10 workstation and learn how to set up a new PPTP VPN connection using the previously configured VPN service on your Windows server.

Lab Summary Conclusion:

As an administrator in a Windows Server environment, it is essential to understand the basic security controls available to you to secure your domain. This hands-on lab introduces you to very important capabilities that are native to a Windows environment. You will learn to manage group policy security settings, which enable you to enforce controls that align with strong cybersecurity policy and posture. You will also learn about the native VPN capability of a Windows server. You will set up a PPTP VPN and then configure your client to use it, increasing the security of your network activity. These skills are essential for someone who is pursuing a career as a Windows administrator.

Other Challenges in this series

  • GUIDED CHALLENGE: Hiding Data with Steganography
  • ADVANCED CHALLENGE: Can You Secure Hardened Windows and Linux Hosts?

‍

This course is part of a Career Path:
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Certification Body
Certificate of Completion

Complete this entire course to earn a Secure Network Access Certificate of Completion

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Purpose Statement

Cybrary Career Paths are comprehensive training programs designed to prepare you for the most in-demand roles in the cybersecurity workforce. Each path follows a Learn, Practice, Prove model and includes different activity types aligned to key topics within the path’s security domain. As you progress through the path, your progress will be measured in real time using Experience Points (XP) that serve as a comprehensive capability score for each topic. Upon completing all of the requirements for a path, you will be rewarded with a shareable digital badge via Credly.
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Overview

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Frequently Asked Questions
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What Will I Learn?
Foundations
Focused on the core IT competencies that cybersecurity professionals need to succeed in any career path.
Defensive Security
Focused on trying to find the bad guys. Topics such as threat intelligence, threat hunting, network monitoring, incident response. Defensive security is a reactive measure taken once a vulnerability is found through prevention, detection, and response.
Engineering and Operations
Focused on building and operating information systems.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance
Focused on the core IT competencies that cybersecurity professionals need to succeed in any career path.
Leadership and Management
Focused on program design and oversight. Covers project and program management.
Offensive Security
Focused on validating security controls by trying to break them (i.e. penetration testing or ethical hacking). Topics such as Kali Linux, metasploit, scanning, and privilege escalation. Offensive security seeks out the problem or vulnerability through ethical hacking and finds a solution to disable the operation.
Offensive Security
Focused on the core IT competencies that cybersecurity professionals need to succeed in any career path.
Path Outline

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Course Outline

What Our Learners Are Saying

Join 3 million+ users, including 96% of Fortune 1000 companies who use our platform to upskill their teams. See what the buzz is about - start learning for free!

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