IMPORTANT - BRING YOUR OWN LAPTOP WITH WINDOWS

To get the most value out of the course, students are required to bring their own laptop so that they can connect directly to the workshop network that we will create. It is the students' responsibility to make sure that 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 or VMware Workstation are required for the class.

Windows
You are required to bring Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista (Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate), or Windows 2003 Server, either a real system or a virtual machine. Windows XP Home and Windows 2000 (all versions) will NOT work for the class, as they do not include all of the built-in capabilities we need for comprehensive analysis of the system. You will also be required to disable your anti-virus tools temporarily for some exercises, so make sure you have the anti-virus administrator permissions to do so. DO NOT plan on just killing your anti-virus service or processes, because most anti-virus tools still function even when their associated services and processes have been terminated.

VMware
You will use VMware to run Windows and Linux operating systems simultaneously when performing exercises in class. You must have either the free VMware Player 1.0 or later or the commercial VMware Workstation 4.0 or later installed on your system prior to coming to class. You can download VMware Player for free at www.vmware.com. Alternatively, if you want a more flexible and configurable tool, you can download a free 30-day trial copy of VMware Workstation from www.vmware.com. VMware will send you a time-limited license number for VMware Workstation if you register for the trial at their website. No license number is required for VMware Player.

We will give you a CD full of attack tools to experiment with during the class and take home for later analysis. We will also provide a Linux image with all of our tools pre-installed that runs within VMware Player or VMware Workstation.

Linux
You do not need to bring a Linux system if you plan to use our Linux image in VMware. However, you are required to bring VMware Workstation or VMware Player. The class does not support VirtualPC. If you want to use your own Linux installation instead of our virtual machine on VMware, you will be required to install all of the tools yourself from the course CD during the course itself, including Nmap, Nessus, covert_tcp, Metasploit, John the Ripper, and Netcat.

Mandatory Laptop Hardware Requirements:

• x86-compatible 1.5 Ghz CPU Minimum or higher
• DVD Drive
• 512MB RAM minimum or higher
• Ethernet adapter
• 5 Gigabyte available hard drive space
• Any Service Pack level is acceptable for Windows XP Pro, Vista, or 2003
  

Paranoia is Good

During the workshop, you will be connecting to one of the most hostile networks on planet 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 class attacks it in the workshop.

By bringing the right equipment and preparing in advance, you can maximize what you'll see and learn, as well as have a lot of fun.