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 Centernew 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 Centersnew window on the Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campuses. Other campus resources include virtual tutoringnew window, help from an MC librariannew window, or technical supportnew window with Blackboard or Collaborate. Counseling and advisingnew window are a click away. The Writing, Reading, and Language Center (Germantown) offers eTutoring (writing submissions) and real-time online tutoring. Make an accountnew window and make an appointmentnew window.

Password Cracking Exercises (PDF, )

More Links:

• picoCTF (Year Round)new window
• Hack This Sitenew window
• CyberStart Gonew window
• OverTheWire Wargamesnew window
• Hack This
• Hack the Boxnew window

MC students can order vouchers online from the CompTIA storenew 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.

Spring 2023: The club meets Wednesday-Friday, from 11:00am-1:00pm in HT 230.
Join the Club Discord servernew window. 
Email contact: cybersecuritylab@montgomerycollege.edu 

The club officers:  
Anthony Avelar, President 
Afeef Khan, Vice President 
Danielle Denny, Secretary 
Xavier Gascon, Treasurer

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 Securitynew window (Offensive Securitynew 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 websitenew 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 Certificationnew window]
• Ubuntu ISO CDnew window
• Vulnerable Linux Virtual Machine: Metasploitable 2 new window 
• Windows 10 Create ISO filenew 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.
• eJobsnew 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 Learningnew 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 Programnew window (talk to our Faculty if you'd like to transfer to this program)
• Certification Magazinenew window
• Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)new window
• CyberSeeknew window
• Cyber Maryland Conferencenew window
• DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)new window
• DoD Cyber Exchange - STIGsnew window
• Maryland Cybersecurity Asset Mapnew window
• Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MACCDC)new window
• National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE Community)new window
• National Cyber Leaguenew window
• National Initiative For Cybersecurity Education (NICE)new window
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Cybersecuritynew window
• NSA opportunitiesnew window for internships, scholarships and summer programs
• SANS Security Awarenessnew window
• SiteLock Guide to Breaking into Website Security as a Careernew window
• The National CyberWatch Centernew window
• UMGC Cyber Security Programnew window (talk to our Faculty if you'd like to transfer to this program)

• Scripps Health: Outage due to malware in hospital system's networknew window
• Toshiba’s European Subsidiary Confirms Ransomware Attack; DarkSide’s Involvement Suspectednew window
• North Korean hackers behind CryptoCore multi-million dollar heistsnew window
• TikTok vulnerability left users' private information exposednew window
• Beware — A New Wormable Android Malware Spreading Through WhatsAppnew window
• This phishing scam left thousands of stolen passwords exposed through Google searchnew window
• FBI warns of vishing attacks stealing corporate accountsnew window
• CISA: Hackers bypassed MFA to access cloud service accountsnew window
• Labcorp Data Breach: 7.7 Million Customers Exposednew window
• NY Investigates Exposure of 885 Million Mortgage Documentsnew window
• Marriott faces $123 million GDPR fine for Starwood Data Breachnew window
• 500 million exposed in Marriott Starwood Data Breachnew window
• Cyber attacks cost $45 billion in 2018new window
• Who is responsible for Cloud Security?new window
• Quora gets hacked -- 100 million Users' Data Stolennew window
• Healthcare Security Mattersnew window
• Legal Threats Make Powerful Phishing Luresnew window
• Facebook Stored Hundreds of Millions of Passwords in Plaintextnew window
• Fix Your Cloud Securitynew window
• National CyberWatch Centernew window
• Tech News Worldnew window
• Threat Postnew window
• Internal Newsnew window

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

• National Security Agencynew 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-SEInew window