Cybersecurity Student → Future Analyst

I’m Fares, a B.S. Cybersecurity student at CSUSB (grad. May 2025) with hands‑on experience in penetration testing labs, secure networking, and building tooling. I enjoy turning complex problems into clear, practical solutions.

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Victorville, CA Security+ (in progress) Kali • Metasploitable • Cisco PT

50+ LabsRecon, exploitation, reporting

15+ ReportsEvidence‑based write‑ups

5 ProjectsTools, apps, simulations

Cloud & Security Labs

Lab 1: Click to view Configuring a Hypervisor with Microsoft Hyper‑V

Manage Hyper‑V with Manager & PowerShell; configure virtual switches and VM networking.

What I did

Enabled Hyper‑V role and confirmed virtualization support in BIOS/Windows.
Created an External vSwitch and tested NAT/bridged connectivity.
Provisioned a Windows/Linux VM, attached ISO, and installed integration services.
Verified guest networking (DHCP, DNS, ping, throughput) and documented results.

Objective Install Hyper‑V role, create external switch, and enable VM networking.

Tools Hyper‑V Manager, PowerShell, Windows 10/11 Pro.

Lab 2: Click to view Creating a Private Cloud with OpenStack

Minimal OpenStack: keystone, nova, neutron; controller/compute setup and Horizon UI.

What I did

Configured keystone identity, added projects/users and roles.
Set up nova/glance/neutron with provider + tenant networks.
Launched an instance, attached floating IP, and accessed via Horizon.
Captured screenshots of networks, flavors, and instance console.

Objective Stand up a small OpenStack private cloud and access Horizon.

Tools Ubuntu LTS, OpenStack packages, CLI, Horizon dashboard.

Lab 3: Click to view Configuring Docker Containers

Build images, run containers, networks & Compose for multi‑container apps.

What I did

Wrote a Dockerfile and built a reproducible image.
Created a user‑defined bridge network and verified container DNS.
Used docker‑compose.yml to orchestrate app + database + volume.
Captured logs and healthchecks; documented restart policy behavior.

Objective Containerize an app and orchestrate services with Docker Compose.

Tools Docker Engine/CLI, Dockerfile, docker‑compose.yml.

Lab 4: Click to view Designing a Secure Cloud Architecture

Plan a secure, zero‑trust‑aware architecture; SCAP scans & Wazuh monitoring.

What I did

Drew segmented VPC/VNet model with public, app, and data tiers.
Defined IAM roles and least‑privilege access between services.
Ran OpenSCAP baselines and collected Wazuh agent telemetry.
Produced findings with prioritized remediation steps.

Objective Design segmented cloud topology with monitoring and hardening checks.

Tools Draw.io/Diagrams, OpenSCAP, Wazuh/Elastic, firewall ACLs.

Lab 5: Click to view Managing Network Security in the Cloud

Mutual TLS, certificate management, and registry protection.

What I did

Issued a root CA and service certificates (SAN) with OpenSSL/CFSSL.
Configured reverse proxy for mTLS between services, hardened TLS versions/ciphers.
Locked down private registry to signed images and authenticated users.
Validated with curl/OpenSSL handshakes and policy enforcement logs.

Objective Secure service‑to‑service traffic and private registries with certificates.

Tools OpenSSL/CFSSL, reverse proxy, container registry, policy rules.

PenTest+ Labs — Recon, Exploitation & Post-Exploitation

Pentest Lab 1: Click to view: Gathering Intelligence (OSINT & Footprinting)

Build a target profile from public sources before scanning.

What I did

Enumerated domains, subdomains, and netblocks; captured WHOIS & DNS records.
Searched leaks and code repos; noted emails/usernames for wordlists.
Mapped external tech stack (cloud, CDNs, WAF, apps) and documented scope.

Objective Produce a recon brief to guide scanning & exploitation.

Tools whois, dig/nslookup, theHarvester, Sublist3r, Shodan, Recon-ng.

Pentest Lab 2: Click to view Discovering Information Using Nmap

Enumerate hosts, services, and versions safely and repeatably.

What I did

Performed host discovery (-sn) and top-ports/TCPSYN scans.
Ran service/version & OS detection (-sV -O -A) and NSE vuln scripts.
Exported results to -oA; tagged high-value services for follow-up.

Objective Map the attack surface with service fingerprints.

Tools Nmap/NSE, Wireshark (validation), SecLists.

Pentest Lab 3: Click to view Exploring the Lab Environment

Understand network layout, targets, and rules of engagement.

What I did

Mapped segments and gateways; identified accessible hosts.
Verified safe testing guidelines and logging locations.
Created notes & checklists for consistent execution.

Objective Baseline the environment for repeatable tests.

Tools Draw.io, ipcalc, ping/traceroute.

Pentest Lab 4: Click to view Penetrating an Internal Network

Gain initial access and pivot to additional systems.

What I did

Obtained foothold via misconfigured service/credential reuse.
Enumerated shares and users; extracted credentials/tokens.
Pivoted to adjacent hosts and validated impact, then contained.

Objective Demonstrate controlled compromise and pivoting.

Tools impacket, CrackMapExec, smbclient, SSH/RDP.

Pentest Lab 5: Click to view Performing Post-Exploitation Activities

Privilege escalation, data access, cleanup and reporting.

What I did

Checked kernel/service misconfigs; attempted user-to-root escalation.
Enumerated sensitive files/DBs; exfiltrated small, non-PII samples.
Established minimal persistence for testing, then fully removed.

Objective Show realistic impact while maintaining scope.

Tools LinPEAS/WinPEAS, sudo/capabilities checks, tar/rsync.

Pentest Lab 6: Click to view Exploiting Weakness in a Database

Find SQL misconfigurations and injection paths.

What I did

Enumerated DB services & default creds; reviewed schema and roles.
Executed safe SQLi in a lab app to extract limited rows.
Documented fixes: parameterized queries, least-privilege roles.

Objective Demonstrate DB exposure and remediation.

Tools sqlmap, psql/mysql client, Burp Suite.

Pentest Lab 7: Click to view Exploiting Weakness in a Website

OWASP-style testing for input and access control issues.

What I did

Identified reflected XSS and IDOR in a training app; confirmed impact.
Enumerated admin endpoints and weak session controls.
Provided remediation: output encoding, strong access checks, CSRF tokens.

Objective Show typical web findings with clear fixes.

Tools Burp Suite, ffuf, OWASP ZAP.

Pentest Lab 8: Click to view Exploiting Web Authentication

Assess login flows and session security.

What I did

Tested weak passwords/lockout; attempted credential stuffing with a tiny wordlist.
Validated login bypass vectors (SQLi, parameter tampering) in a demo app.
Documented mitigations: MFA, rate limiting, strong session management.

Objective Evaluate auth robustness and improve defenses.

Tools Burp Suite, hydra, SecLists.

Pentest Lab 9: Click to view Performing Lateral Movement

Move from an initial foothold to additional hosts.

What I did

Harvested creds from memory/files; reused tokens where permitted.
Connected over SSH/RDP/SMB administrative channels.
Logged all commands and paths for clean rollback.

Objective Demonstrate controlled lateral movement.

Tools impacket-psexec, wmiexec, SSH, RDP.

Pentest Lab 10: Click to view Performing Password Attacks

Crack hashes and test credentials against services in a safe lab.

What I did

Generated wordlists from OSINT and permutations.
Cracked example hashes; verified logon with rate-limited attempts.
Outlined credential policy improvements for the report.

Objective Show the risk of weak credentials.

Tools hashcat/John, hydra, SecLists.

Pentest Lab 11: Click to view Performing Social Engineering using SET

Create a controlled phishing simulation for credential capture.

What I did

Built a credential-harvest scenario in a sandbox with consent.
Hosted the page, captured test submissions, and recorded indicators.
Prepared awareness guidance and technical mitigations.

Objective Demonstrate social-engineering risks ethically.

Tools Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET), Python HTTP server.

Pentest Lab 12: Click to view Performing Vulnerability Scans and Analysis

Scan targets and triage findings before exploitation.

What I did

Ran authenticated/unauthenticated scans and imported results.
Validated critical CVEs with PoC where allowed.
Prioritized remediation with CVSS/business impact.

Objective Translate scanner output into actionable items.

Tools OpenVAS/Greenbone, Nmap NSE, Nikto.

Pentest Lab 13: Click to view Establishing Persistence

Set up minimal, reversible persistence in a lab and remove it cleanly.

What I did

Created scheduled tasks/systemd services for re-entry in a sandbox.
Added/removed SSH keys and registry run-keys; verified cleanup.

Objective Demonstrate persistence techniques and proper removal.

Tools schtasks/systemd, reg.exe, authorized_keys.

Pentest Lab 14: Click to view Using SQL Injection

Practice SQL injection patterns and safe verification.

What I did

Detected union/time-based injection; enumerated DB metadata.
Proposed mitigations and wrote example parameterized queries.

Objective Understand SQLi risk and fixes.

Tools sqlmap, Burp Suite, sqlite/mysql client.

Pentest Lab 15: Click to view Using Reverse and Bind Shells

Establish interactive access in a controlled environment.

What I did

Launched reverse/bind shells; upgraded TTY and forwarded ports.
Recorded commands and closed sessions safely.

Objective Demonstrate shell tactics responsibly.

Tools nc/socat, bash, Python pty, ssh -L/-R.

Digital Forensics — Evidence & Recovery Labs

(Click to view what I built)

Lab A: (Click to view what I built) Applying the Daubert Standard to Forensic Evidence

Prepare evidence for court: chain of custody, imaging, and hash validation across tools.

What I did

Completed Chain of Custody and evidence handling paperwork.
Acquired a disk image and generated MD5/SHA1 hashes with FTK Imager.
Validated hash values with E3 and Autopsy to prove integrity.

Objective Demonstrate court‑admissible handling of digital evidence under Daubert.

Tools FTK Imager, Paraben E3, Autopsy.

Lab B: Click to view Recognizing the Use of Steganography in Forensic Evidence

Detect hidden data in images and extract payloads while preserving evidence integrity.

What I did

Flagged installed stego tools on a drive image with E3.
Ran StegExpose across exported files to identify candidates.
Used OpenPuff/OpenStego to extract embedded content and documented MD5s.

Objective Prove or disprove steganographic use and recover hidden artifacts.

Tools Paraben E3, StegExpose, OpenPuff/OpenStego.

Lab C: Click to view Recovering Deleted and Damaged Files

Recover evidence from NTFS/APFS/ext4; carve files and analyze the Recycle Bin.

What I did

Recovered deleted files from Windows images with E3 and inspected $RECYCLE.BIN.
Carved compressed/archived data with PhotoRec; exported artifacts for reporting.
Validated recovered items within Autopsy and preserved outputs.

Objective Restore deleted/hidden evidence and prove recovery steps.

Tools Paraben E3, Autopsy, PhotoRec.

Lab D: Click to view Conducting an Incident Response Investigation

Correlate network and host evidence; build a concise IR report.

What I did

Parsed a PCAP to isolate suspicious sessions, IPs, and credentials.
Examined a suspect disk image in E3; extracted registry, email, and malware traces.
Compiled findings and timelines into an IR report template.

Objective Triage, analyze, and report an enterprise breach using host + network artifacts.

Tools NetWitness Investigator, Paraben E3.

Lab E: Click to view Forensic Investigations on Windows Systems

Locate Windows‑specific artifacts that link user actions to evidence.

What I did

Analyzed registry hives (SAM/SYSTEM/SOFTWARE) and Prefetch/LNK artifacts.
Reviewed Event Logs and RecentDocs to reconstruct activity.

Objective Tie user accounts to actions on disk.

Tools E3, Autopsy, RegRipper.

Lab F: Click to view Forensic Investigations on Linux Systems

Trace activity on a Linux host from logs and shell artifacts.

What I did

Examined /var/log auth/syslog, bash history, crontab, and SSH keys.
Recovered deleted files and carved data blocks for strings/indicators.

Objective Build a timeline of user and service activity.

Tools Autopsy, grep/awk, foremost/photorec.

Lab G: Click to view Forensic Investigations on Mobile Devices

Extract logical data and analyze mobile‑specific artifacts.

What I did

Performed a logical acquisition; parsed SMS, calls, contacts, and app data.
Correlated geolocation and media metadata with case timelines.

Objective Recover user communications and activity from smartphones.

Tools E3, ADB utilities, mobile parsers.

Lab H: Click to view Forensic Investigations on Network Infrastructure

Identify suspicious flows and exfiltration across network captures.

What I did

Inspected PCAPs for service types, sessions, and anomalous hosts.
Pivoted from filenames/credentials to confirm exfil paths.

Objective Triage PCAPs and extract indicators for follow‑up.

Tools NetWitness Investigator, Wireshark.

Lab I: Click to view Forensic Investigations on Email & Chat Logs

Extract communications evidence from email stores and chat exports.

What I did

Parsed PST/EML and chat logs, extracted attachments and headers.
Correlated timestamps with network and host artifacts.

Objective Link messages and attachments to case events.

Tools Autopsy, E3, mail parsers.

Lab J: Click to view Conducting Forensic Investigations on System Memory

Analyze volatile memory to uncover running malware and connections.

What I did

Enumerated processes, DLLs, and network sockets from a RAM image.
Extracted suspicious binaries and strings for static review.

Objective Reveal in‑memory activity missed by disk analysis.

Tools Volatility/Volatility3, strings, yarascan.

Selected Projects

DogPark Enterprise Capstone (Windows Domain Build)

Click to view what I built, the objective, and the stack.

Greenfield build of a small-business Windows domain and services. Team project where we planned, deployed, and secured core infrastructure, then documented and presented results.

What I built

Deployed Windows Server AD DS with DNS & DHCP; created OUs, users, and GPO baselines (password, lockout, hardening).
Stood up an email service (Exchange-style lab) and configured MX/DNS, mail flow, and user mailboxes.
File/print services with NTFS/Share permissions; documented backups and recovery checks.
Edge firewall & VLAN segmentation; NAT and rules for admin, server, and user networks.
Auth & logging, run-book procedures, and final network diagrams for hand-off.

Objective Stand up and secure a Windows domain and business services from scratch.

Stack Windows Server, AD DS, DNS/DHCP, email, IIS, file services, firewall.

Network diagram Network diagram + task matrix from the capstone build.

Certificate of achievement Enterprise Administration Capstone certificate Achieved

View diagram

Personal Ethical Hacking Tool (Python)

A modular, safe-by-default Python toolkit I built across a semester to practice recon and basic password-attack workflows against lab-only targets. It includes a Gradio web UI and a Click CLI, evidence exports, and guardrails that enforce scope and rate limits.

What I built

Recon modules: subdomain + DNS enumeration, HTTP banner/headers audit, robots/sitemap collection, and targeted port checks for common services.
Wordlist & attacks (lab only): rule-based wordlist generator and simple offline hash attempts against practice hashes to demonstrate workflow.
Evidence pipeline: structured logs (JSONL/CSV), timestamped runs, and an output folder with artifacts/screenshots for reports.
Interfaces: Gradio UI for quick runs; Click-based CLI for repeatable, scripted jobs.

Safety by design Scope allowlist file, dry-run mode, randomized delays, request rate caps, and clear “authorized testing only” banners.

Tech Python 3.x, Gradio, Click, requests/aiohttp, BeautifulSoup4, logging, SQLite (run history).

iOS Cybersecurity App Concept

Design for a privacy suite (SafeBox Browser, App Scanner, CallerShield ). Drafted feature spec and data‑flow diagrams; focused on phishing & spyware defenses.

Two-Switch VLAN Segmentation — Cisco Packet Tracer

Hands-on configuration of a small campus access layer using two Cisco Layer-2 switches. I designed the VLAN plan, implemented an 802.1Q trunk between switches, assigned access ports to the correct VLANs, and verified segmentation and connectivity using IOS show commands. The focus was on clean, repeatable configuration and clear validation steps.

What I configured

Defined VLANs for Users, Servers, Voice, and Management with clear names and IDs.
Assigned edge ports as access and set correct VLAN membership and interface descriptions.
Built an 802.1Q trunk between SW1↔SW2; set native VLAN, pruned/allowed VLAN list.
Basic hardening on access ports: disabled unused ports, PortFast on edge, BPDU Guard enabled.
Validation: show vlan brief, show interfaces trunk, show mac address-table, and end-to-end pings within each VLAN to confirm isolation.

Objective Segment a small network with VLANs on two switches, establish a trunk, and verify isolation & stability.

Tools Cisco Packet Tracer; IOS CLI on Catalyst-class switches (e.g., 2960).

Notes Inter-VLAN routing was intentionally out of scope to keep the exercise focused on L2 design and verification.

Repeatability Config captured with sectioned comments and saved startup-config for quick rebuilds.

Skills & Tools

Technical

Penetration Testing: Recon, enumeration, exploit fundamentals, reporting
Tools: Nmap, Netcat, John, Burp Suite (intro), Wireshark
Environments: Kali Linux, Metasploitable, DVWA, OWASP Juice Shop
Networking: VLANs, trunking, basic ACLs, packet capture & analysis
Scripting: Python basics, Bash; Git & GitHub
Databases/Apps: MS Access (LMS prototype), basic SQL

Professional

Clear written reports with screenshots and evidence
Team collaboration and proactive problem‑solving
Ethical mindset; respect for scope and data privacy

Security+ (studying) CISO Club member B.S. Cybersecurity (in progress)

Education

California State University, San Bernardino — B.S. Cybersecurity (Expected May 2025)

Relevant: Network Security, PenTesting labs, Secure Systems

Barstow Community College — A.S. Computer Business Information Systems

Coursework: systems, databases, IT fundamentals

Resume & Links

View Resume (PDF) Download PDF GitHub LinkedIn

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Contact

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