Virtual Box Lab Report

* Perform a vulnerability assessment scan on the targeted IP subnet to discover what the weakest link in the system.

Virtualization is a combination of software and hardware engineering that creates Virtual Machines (VMs) - an abstraction of the computer hardware that allows a single machine to act as if it were many machines, or a computer that does not physically exist as a piece of hardware. The hardware that is seen by the operating system is emulated in an effort to separate the physical hardware from operating system. This allows the virtual machine to be moved and hosted on any machine independent of hardware. Virtualization technology is possibly the single most important issue in IT and has started a top to bottom overhaul of the computing industry which is why many companies around the world have are using its softwares to enhance their business opportunities.

Virtual Machine Security - Full Virtualization and Para Virtualization are two kinds of virtualization in a cloud computing paradigm. In full virtualization, entire hardware architecture is replicated virtually. However, in para virtualization, an operating system is modified so that it can be run concurrently with other operating systems. VMM Instance Isolation ensures that different instances running on the same physical machine are isolated from each other. However, current VMMs do not offer perfect isolation. Many bugs have been found in all popular VMMs that allow escaping from VM (Virtual machine). Vulnerabilities have been found in all virtualization software, which can be exploited by malicious users to bypass certain security restrictions or/and gain escalated privileges. ation software running on or being developed for cloud computing platforms presents different security challenges. It is depending on the delivery model of that particular platform. Flexibility, openness and public availability of cloud infrastructure are threats for application security. The existing vulnerabilities like Presence of trap doors, overflow problems, poor quality code etc. are threats for various attacks. Multi-tenant environment of cloud platforms, the lack of direct control over the environment, and access to data by the cloud platform vendor; are the key issues for using a cloud application. Preserving integrity of applications being executed in remote machines is an open

This lab provided a virtual environment that simulated a corporate WAN network. Having a similar network environment at the organization I am currently employed at, I have some experience with vulnerability scanning. I do not have much experience using the nmap utility however, so I was interested to get some experience by completing the tasks within this lab. I didn’t experience many challenges following the steps in the lab itself. I was able to launch the environment successfully and perform the steps without any issue. As with any new environment, it took me a little time to figure out the layout of the simulation and how it functioned. After reading the documentation and spending about ten minutes clicking through the different areas, I felt comfortable and began the steps of the lab.

The penetration tools provided in this document allow us to review our network from a security standpoint. This paper focused predominantly on phase two of a penetration test, the exploitation phase; however, a successful penetration test typically starts with the reconnaissance phase. In this phase, the tester attempts to gain as much information about the target company and its network as possible. He or she will test the physical infrastructure (how do people gain access to the building?) and other organizational aspects of the company to find a weakness and a way to get in. Also during this portion of the test, the penetration tester will use tools such as NMAP, whois.com, and other resources to obtain information regarding the network

The extensive use of virtualization in implementing cloud infrastructure brings unique security concerns for customers or tenants of a public cloud service. Virtualization alters the relationship between the OS and underlying hardware - be it computing, storage or even networking. This introduces an additional layer -

Network-Based Scanner helps detect critical vulnerabilities for example mis-configured firewalls, risks associated with vendor-supplied software, vulnerable web servers, and risks associated with systems administration and network.

The results of the scan will show levels of criticality based on the type of vulnerability it has acquired. The criticality of found vulnerabilities on each server [4, Fig. A-1] are easily identified by color scale; red being most critical and blue the least [4, Fig. A-2].

Virtualization’s rate of adoption is completely characterized by the five characteristics described in the framework for the concepts of innovation (Luftman & Bullen, 2004, p. 189). It is perceived to be better than physical servers in its ability to host multiple operating systems and share the host’s resource. Its encapsulation of resources allows it to operate as if it was a physical machine yet it is totally virtual giving it a relative advantage. It is compatible with all baseline operating systems on the market. Complexity in implementation is minimal making it more attractive to adopt. The vendors allows for free downloads and trials. Its visibility in competition with Microsoft’s Hyper-V has shown multiple advantages. (Luftman & Bullen, 2004, p. 190)

I would know that would be able to perform this scan because Nessus supports Windows XP.

Network Based Virtualization is abstract storage of data applications from the host machine. This is well achieved through fibre channels connection between the machines and the servers running virtualization. The respective operating systems on the separate machines are not a factor to consider as they work independently. For it to achieve its expectations, the following services must be provided as below:

Objective 1: Acquire hardware to support the virtual environment. The hardware needs to be powerful enough to accommodate several VM instances. The objective will be a success when hardware has been acquired and installed. There are 4 tasks that must be completed:

As a result of this capability, the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) was in need of a technical solution that would meet their criteria’s and engage in a marketable solution that will be implemented across the entire DOD network. The Nessus vulnerability scanner was selected by the DOD due to the constant attacks aimed at acquiring sensitive information, their choice of Nessus attests to the software’s primacy among other vulnerability scanning options (Tenable Network Security, 2013). The network security community ranks Nessus at 3 out of 125 network security tools and ranked it number 1 vulnerability scanner (SecTools.org,

As we all know virtualization is the requirement of future. We have evolved from the age of traditional environment to virtual environment.We have grown accustomed to almost all things virtual from virtual memory to virtual networks to virtual storage.The most widely leveraged benefit of virtualization technology is server consolidation, enabling one server to take on the workloads of multiple servers. For example, by consolidating a branch office’s print server, fax server, exchange server, and web server on a single windows server, businesses reduce the costs of hardware, maintenance, and staffing.

Advanced Research Corporation (ARC) has grown quickly in the last five years. During that time, ARC has seen a large expansion in its data and communications network. Because of its success, ARC has seen cyber-attacks on its network with attempts to steal its