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.
It is critical that you back-up your system before class. it is also strongly advised that you do not bring a system storing any sensitive data.
IMPORTANT - BRING YOUR OWN LAPTOP WITH WINDOWS
To get the most value out of this course, students are required to bring their own laptop so that they can connect directly to the workshop network we will create. It is the students' responsibility to make sure the system is properly configured with all drivers necessary to connect to an Ethernet network.
Some of the course exercises are based on Windows, while others focus on Linux. VMware Player VMware Workstation is required for the class. If you plan to use a Mac, please make sure you bring VMware Fusion. Note: Apple systems using the M1 processor cannot perform the necessary virtualization at this time and cannot be used for this course.
Disc Space Requirements
The course includes two VMware image files: a Windows 10 VM, and Slingshot Linux. You will need at least 60GB free on your system for these virtual machintes (VMs).
VMWare
You will use VMware to run Windows 10 and Slingshot Linux VMs simultaneously when performing exercises in the course. The VMs come with all the tools you will need to complete the lab exercises.
We will give you a USB full of attack tools to experiment with during the course and to keep for later analysis. We will also provide a Linux image with all of our tools pre-installed that runs within VMware.
Windows and Native Linux Users: You must have either the free VMware Workstation Player 16 or later or the commercial VMware Workstation 16 or later installed on your system prior to coming to class. You can download VMware Player for free here.
Mac users: You will need VMware Fusion 12 (or later) or the free VMware Fusion Player 12 or later installed on your Mac prior to class. You can download the free VMware Fusion Player here.
Virtualbox and other virtualization products: While this may work in the course, it is not officially supported. If you choose to use this software you will be responsible for configuring the virtual machines to work on the target range. Also, installation of both VMware and Virtualbox can sometimes cause network issues. We recommend only installing one virtualization technology.
Mandatory Laptop Hardware Requirements
- x64-compatible 2.0 GHz CPU minimum or higher
- 8 GB RAM minimum with 16 GB or higher recommended
- 50 GB available hard-drive space
- Any patch level is acceptable for Windows 10
During the workshop, you will be connecting to one of the most hostile networks on Earth! Your laptop might be attacked. Do not have any sensitive data stored on the system. SANS is not responsible for your system if someone in the course attacks it in the workshop.
By bringing the right equipment and preparing in advance, you can maximize what you will see and learn, as well as have a lot of fun.
If you have additional questions about the laptop specifications, please contact laptop_prep@sans.org.