Cybersecurity Lab

Our NETLAB virtual machine environment includes lab exercises for Security+, A+, Ethical Hacking, and Cisco CCNA.

NETLAB is free to use for Montgomery College students, faculty, and staff. 

NETLAB Portal. 

There are open lab hours here in the Cybersecurity Center (HT 230), for self-study, collaboration, and Cybersecurity Club activities (by request). 

Our lab monitors are here to direct students to NETLAB or other resources and maintain the lab rules (no food, drink, or loud or disruptive talking). 

Tutoring is available for certain subjects in the MAPEL Center new window (SA 202) on the Germantown Campus. 

Do not assume that this lab provides tutoring for your class. Ask your instructor for suggested resources for the class that you are taking.

Recommendations: Manage your time wisely. Do not wait until the last minute for your questions, please work on it yourself as soon as possible and save your questions.

Other resources are also available in the Digital Learning Centers new window on the Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campuses. Other campus resources include virtual tutoring new window, help from an MC librarian new window, or technical support new window with Blackboard or Collaborate. Counseling and advising new window are a click away. The Writing, Reading, and Language Center (Germantown) offers eTutoring (writing submissions) and real-time online tutoring. Make an account new window and make an appointment new window.

Password Cracking Exercises (PDF, )

More Links:

• picoCTF (Year Round) new window
• Hack This Site new window
• CyberStart Go new window
• OverTheWire Wargames new window
• Hack This
• Hack the Box new window

MC students can order vouchers online from the CompTIA store new window and get an academic voucher at a discounted price. You can then use this voucher to sign up for your examination appointment.

• You MUST use an e-mail address that ends in .edu when placing the order.
• Limit 3 vouchers for every 6 months or 6 vouchers lifetime total.

The Cybersecurity Club hosts workshops to educate students about a wide range of topics within the field. We also compete in cyber competitions such as the National Cyber League.

Join the Club Discord server new window. 
Email contact: cybersecuritylab@montgomerycollege.edu 

VM101

• Downloadable Instructions for VM101 (Revised 4/14/20) new window

Virtual Machine Instructions

1. Pick an operating system that you want to run as a virtual machine. Some useful downloads are in the links below. (You can either install a Kali Linux VM for cybersecurity purposes or a Ubuntu machine for general Linux command line purposes. Note that Ubuntu may need 2048 MB of memory nowadays to run.)
2. Instructions: Download VirtualBox (https://www.virtualbox.org/) or VMware Player (VMware Workstation 15.1.0) or, depending on the type of 'Prebuilt Kali Linux Image' of Kali downloaded.
3. If you have a ISO file, Create a New Virtual Machine, and insert the ISO CD. If you have an existing Virtual Machine, Open the existing Virtual Machine. When prompted: "Are you moving/copying this from another place?" click Yes.

Pick an operating system:

• Kali VMs from Offensive Security new window (Offensive Security new window) Go to Kali & More... > Kali Linux Downloads > Virtual Images. Click on Kali Linux VirtualBox Images if you are planning to use it with VirtualBox.org software. Click on Kali Linux VMware Images if you are planning to use it instead with VMware software (ie. Player or Workstation). Click on the Image Name link that ends with .7z (7zip file, can be extracted with 7-zip website new window). Note: Unzip your .7z file with 7-Zip at  www.7-zip.org. (Kali Default Login Credentials are username: root | password: toor) (Note: hashcat 2.00 works on Kali 2016.1 & 2017.1 rather than 2016.2) [OSCP Certification new window]
• Ubuntu ISO CD new window
• Vulnerable Linux Virtual Machine: Metasploitable 2  new window 
• Windows 10 Create ISO file new window 

Note: Try not to run too many graphically demanding virtual machines at once. It can slow your PC down. It uses your PC's memory/RAM resources. Only run what you need to get done. To obtain the IP address, you can type 'ipconfig' in the terminal on Linux machines, or in Windows you can go to Start > cmd  or  Command Prompt > type 'ipconfig'  or   Start > Type in 'ncpa.cpl' > and double click on the interface > Local Area Connection Status > Details... > IPv4 Address.

• STEM Internships: new window Contact Michael.Mehalick@montgomerycollege.edu for more information.
• eJobs new window: Search MC's database for part-time and full-time jobs and internships.

All Montgomery College faculty, staff, and students have access to LinkedIn Learning new window.

LinkedIn Learning is an on-demand learning solution designed to help you build new skills and advance your career.

• Capitol Technology University Cyber Security Program new window (talk to our Faculty if you'd like to transfer to this program)
• Certification Magazine new window
• Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) new window
• CyberSeek new window
• Cyber Maryland Conference new window
• DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) new window
• DoD Cyber Exchange - STIGs new window
• Maryland Cybersecurity Asset Map new window
• Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MACCDC) new window
• National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE Community) new window
• National Cyber League new window
• National Initiative For Cybersecurity Education (NICE) new window
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Cybersecurity new window
• NSA opportunities new window for internships, scholarships and summer programs
• SANS Security Awareness new window
• SiteLock Guide to Breaking into Website Security as a Career new window
• The National CyberWatch Center new window
• UMGC Cyber Security Program new window (talk to our Faculty if you'd like to transfer to this program)

• Scripps Health: Outage due to malware in hospital system's network new window
• Toshiba’s European Subsidiary Confirms Ransomware Attack; DarkSide’s Involvement Suspected new window
• North Korean hackers behind CryptoCore multi-million dollar heists new window
• TikTok vulnerability left users' private information exposed new window
• Beware — A New Wormable Android Malware Spreading Through WhatsApp new window
• This phishing scam left thousands of stolen passwords exposed through Google search new window
• FBI warns of vishing attacks stealing corporate accounts new window
• CISA: Hackers bypassed MFA to access cloud service accounts new window
• Labcorp Data Breach: 7.7 Million Customers Exposed new window
• NY Investigates Exposure of 885 Million Mortgage Documents new window
• Marriott faces $123 million GDPR fine for Starwood Data Breach new window
• 500 million exposed in Marriott Starwood Data Breach new window
• Cyber attacks cost $45 billion in 2018 new window
• Who is responsible for Cloud Security? new window
• Quora gets hacked -- 100 million Users' Data Stolen new window
• Healthcare Security Matters new window
• Legal Threats Make Powerful Phishing Lures new window
• Facebook Stored Hundreds of Millions of Passwords in Plaintext new window
• Fix Your Cloud Security new window
• National CyberWatch Center new window
• Tech News World new window
• Threat Post new window
• Internal News new window

• Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) new window
• CompTIA new window
• EC-Council Certification new window
• Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) new window
• International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 new window
• Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) new window
• SANS Institute new window

• National Security Agency new window
• National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) new window
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Computer Security Division (CSD) Resource Center (CSRC) new window
• Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University CERT Division at CMU-SEI new window