Building Forensics Workstations

Twenty-four laptops are needed for classroom use as forensics and networking workstations. The laptops need to have suitable specifications to meet the demands of forensics imaging and other high-usage tasks. A standard image is necessary to maintain standardization across each workstation and ease the maintenance and addition of utilities.

The laptops and some additional hardware will be supplied by a Fortune 500 Company. The requirements of the workstations are as follows:

Intel i5 or better
8gb of RAM or more
320gb hard drive or more, 7200 RPM
Golden image
SANS – SIFT, Open-Source forensics utilities
Wireshark, nmap, other free networking utilities

Project Student: Keith Cornell

Testimonials

The Living Lab is helpful because it exposed me to an environment similar to one I would face in a real IT job. Abdulrahaman Ahmed Banjar

The Living Lab has been very educational for me this semester. I gained experience in collaborating with a client in order to install a Polycom Videoconferencing system, to provide a new way of communication for the client. Paul D. Bailey

I have definitely determined that this class could be just like a real life IT position. You never know how long a project might take, even a simple task. I’ve had some tasks take only a couple of hours, and I worked on one project for 36 hours straight. But I feel that Living Lab is helping to prepare me for what will come in the professional world. Eugene Gephart

The Living Lab was a great opportunity to gain different technical experience in the IT field. The projects were all challenging and simulated a real-world environment to deliver upon. Nick Barnett

I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for the Living Lab. It has been a long and difficult journey this semester, but I got hands-on experience with Linux. I hoped to cover more networking material, but setting up an intrusion detection system and troubleshooting commands did make this seemingly impossible task for a student with no prior experience more approachable. I also got to make network cables for the first time, which was an added bonus. Nelson Soriano

I have gained a lot of useful experience with Mac OS X administration, such as performance monitoring, maintenance, user and group creation, remote and command line administration, and load testing. It has challenged my skill set, and it will be very beneficial for me in the future. Joseph Warren Balazs

The work is challenging and exercises a broad set of soft skills as well as technical skills. In working as a webmaster, the Living Lab challenges your ability to communicate, delegate, and prioritize your projects as new issues occur. Definitely a valuable set of skills for any kind of work. Michael Thomas Draper

The Living Lab has been a great experience for me throughout the semester. I worked with some technologies that were previously unfamiliar and consulted with a client to develop a good solution to implement for them. Working in many unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations truly pushes you, and I believe it’s the best way to foster growth in any profession. So for the Living Lab to give that opportunity is a great thing. Nathanial William Adams

Living Lab is a great class to gain experience that you can apply to the real world. The small class means there is more one-on-one time with the lab instructor. The Living Lab also lets you get your hands dirty with hardware and not just focus on exams and homework. I can apply what I learned in other classes to real-world scenarios. My favorite thing about Living Lab is that I can put everything that I achieve in class on my resume, which puts me ahead of the curve with potential employers. Bhaumik Yashesh Pandya

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