Hardening of the smart experimental learning / Ahmad Abdul Azim Mansor

Across the world, there exists a lack of computer security components in many
computer science curriculums. For those programs that do have such components in
computer security, a common difficulty is to integrate "real-world" labs into the
courses, in order to provide hands-on experiences to the learners. Due to concerns for
security breaches and network hacking, system administrators are reluctant to allow
computer security labs involving network sniffing, virus scripting, etc. to be deployed in
the campus network. Without hands-on, real-world projects, it is difficult for the
learners to integrate the acquired security theories and knowledge with up-to-date
security technologies and practices. For this reason, the purpose of this project paper is
to develop and implement a virtual lab module for undergraduate computer security
course covering the basics of network security. This project is called Smart
Experimental Learning. This virtual lab can be set up for a relatively small investment
and allows students to learn attacker techniques and how to defend against them. Little
specialized knowledge is required to set up the lab hardware and configure the
machines. The hardening process was also being done using various software available.
Basically, the results show that the hardening process can be done even the operating
systems were installed virtually and students can take this advantage to learn how to
harden a system in an environment whereby the results does not effect the real network
on the campus. It is hoped that by designing and implementing this virtual lab module
successfully, students can learn and experience what we called computer security.