This topic will introduce you to virtualisation and how to set up a virtual lab to conduct the practical tasks required for this module. You will also gain hands-on skills for working with virtual machines and virtual networks for conducting tests.
In this topic, you will learn about:
- introduction to virtualisation
- setting up a virtual lab
- installing Kali Linux virtual machine
- installing Metasploitable virtual machine
- preparing a vulnerable machine for testing.
Let us begin.
The following video overviews the setup of a virtual testing environment using virtualisation technology.
Virtual lab setup
The following video demonstrates how to setup a virtual lab environment using Oracle Virtual Box as the virtualisation software.
A first look at Oracle Virtual Box
The following video introduces the Oracle Virtual Box virtualisation software and how to import and export virtual machine appliances.
The following video demonstrates the steps for installing Kali Linux virtual machine in the virtual lab environment.
The following video demonstrates the steps for installing the Metasploitable virtual machine in the virtual lab environment using a virtual disk. The Metasploitable virtual machine has an intentionally vulnerable configuration that is specifically designed for cyber security testing purposes.
How did you go?
Congratulations on completing the topic Simulated environment setup . You should now understand how to setup the virtual environment required for conducting the practical tasks for this module.
In this topic, you learnt about:
- introduction to virtualisation
- setting up a virtual lab
- installing Kali Linux virtual machine
- installing Metasploitable virtual machine.
Practice activity: Setup your virtual lab
The following practice activity will help you prepare a virtual lab to perform the tasks required for your formal skills assessments.
Step 1: Install Oracle Virtual Box.
Step 2: Download the Kali Linux VM virtual image from Get Kali | Kali Linux
Step 3: Install the Kali Linux VM from the downloaded virtual appliance.
Step 4: Download the ‘Metasploitable’ virtual image from SourceForge.net
Step 5: Install the Metasploitable VM from the downloaded virtual disk.
Step 6: Ensure that both VMs are connected via the same virtual network. Check the IP address of both VMs and check that they can communicate with each other. (Hint: In command line, run a ping test using the IP address).
