Important! Bring your own system configured according to these instructions!
A properly configured system is required to fully participate in this course. If you do not carefully read and follow these instructions, you will likely leave the class unsatisfied because you will not be able to participate in hands-on exercises that are essential to this course. Therefore, we strongly urge you to arrive with a system meeting all the requirements specified for the course.
SEC545 students will have the opportunity to install, configure, and utilize the tools and techniques they have learned. You will be given a downloadable file through your SANS portal account with three virtual machines, but it is critical that you have a properly configured system prior to class. Most labs are done online in the AWS Cloud.
IMPORTANT: You can use the latest version of Windows 10, macOS 10.15.x or later, or Linux that also can install and run VMware virtualization products described below. You also must have a minimum of 8 GB of RAM or higher for the VMs to function properly in the class. A VMware product must also be installed prior to coming to class. Verify that under BIOS, Virtual Support is ENABLED.
Mandatory System Requirements
- System running Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X 64-bit version Note: Apple systems using the M1 processor cannot perform the necessary virtualization at this time and cannot be used for this course.
- At least 8 GB RAM
- 60 GB of available disk space (more space is recommended)
- Administrator access to the operating system
- An available USB port - if taking an in-person course
- Wireless NIC for network connectivity
- Machines should NOT contain any personal or company data
- Verify that under BIOS, Virtual Support is ENABLED
- Disable Windows 10 Credential Guard and Device Guard
Mandatory Downloads Prior to Coming to Class:
Mandatory Amazon Web Services (AWS) Account Prior to Coming to Class:
- An AWS account is required to do hands-on exercises during this course. The AWS account must be created prior to the start of class. Your ability to execute the hands-on exercises will be delayed if you wait to set up the AWS account in class.
- Estimated additional costs for the week of AWS account usage are $15 to $25.
- For detailed instructions on how to create and/or set up this account, please visit the following URL: https://www.sans.org/media/security-training/laptop/Creating_your_SEC545_AWS_Account.pdf
It is critical that your CPU and operating system support 64-bits so that our 64-bit guest virtual machine will run on your laptop. VMware provides a free tool for Windows and Linux that will detect whether or not your host supports 64-bit guest virtual machines. For further troubleshooting, this article also provides good instructions for Windows users to determine more about CPU and OS capabilities. For Macs, please use this support page from Apple to determine 64-bit capability.
Please download and install VM Workstation Pro 15.5 or higher, VMware Fusion 11.5 or higher, or VMware Workstation Player 15.5 or higher versions on your system prior to the start of the class. If you do not own a licensed copy of VMware Workstation or Fusion, you can download a free 30-day trial copy from VMware. VMware will send you a time-limited serial number if you register for the trial on its website.
Other virtualization software, such as VirtualBox and Hyper-V, are not appropriate because of compatibility and troubleshooting problems you might encounter during class.
VMware Workstation Pro and VMware Player on Windows 10 is not compatible with Windows 10 Credential Guard and Device Guard technologies. Please disable these capabilities for the duration of the class, if they're enabled on your system, by following instructions in this document.
Your course media will now be delivered via download. The media files for class can be large, some in the 40 - 50 GB range. You need to allow plenty of time for the download to complete. Internet connections and speed vary greatly and are dependent on many different factors. Therefore, it is not possible to give an estimate of the length of time it will take to download your materials. Please start your course media downloads as you get the link. You will need your course media immediately on the first day of class. Waiting until the night before the class starts to begin your download has a high probability of failure.
SANS has begun providing printed materials in PDF form. Additionally, certain classes are using an electronic workbook in addition to the PDFs. The number of classes using eWorkbooks will grow quickly. In this new environment, we have found that a second monitor and/or a tablet device can be useful by keeping the class materials visible while the instructor is presenting or while you are working on lab exercises.
If you have additional questions about the laptop specifications, please contact laptop_prep@sans.org.