Risk Assessment – IT Living Lab

An Indiana company conducts genetic research on plants. The IT manager of the company contacted us for assistance in looking into the security of their network. They already had another company that was performing monthly checks on their network. Research was done to find how that company gained access to the network to ensure safe practices. Risk assessment and vulnerability software was researched and used to perform scans of the company’s network. After the scans were completed and enough information was gathered, a report was created with a list of risks, vulnerabilities, and recommendations. In closing this project, the report was presented to the IT manager of the company.

Student Team Members: Lindsay Friddle, Kevin Wikman

Testimonials

The Living Lab was a life-changing experience, because this is how I got my first IT job. I gained knowledge and hands-on experience through contributions on a variety of projects for Simon Property Group. You never know all the solutions for all the problems, which makes it challenging and interesting. I went for another semester in the Living Lab, because I enjoy learning new techniques that will be valuable in the future. Yan Grishin

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

FreeNAS is an open-source, Linux based freeBSD, network storage operating system. It can be installed on virtually any hardware platform that allows it to share data over a network. In this project, FreeNAS is being used to house multiple virtual machines for a virtual training program. FreeNAS utilizes a Web-GUI that enables a remote connection through a browser using the assign IP address for the FreeNAS server. This connection is initially insecure and needs a certificate of authority to be e… Read more Creating a secure CA connection for FreeNAS to use with ESXi 6 Virtual Environment

Living Lab has been a great experience for me to learn daily obligations to maintain a healthy network. I’ve learned independent research is a very important process before network testing is conducted. I’ve also learned that you must have a process to monitor packets flowing in and out of the network. Working with packet sniffing programs has been helpful. In a team environment, I’ve also learned to install network cables, mount and install switches, and test networks. Charles Alan Stone

The Living Lab helped me gain experience, knowledge, motivation, and communication skills in the networking systems field. I learned about configuring switches, from the beginning to the end, to run a secured and productive networking environment. Khaled Salh Alwasel

The Living Lab has taught me that not all projects will go as planned. You will run into problems and situations that frustrate you. I have, however, learned a great deal about logs and log management. I gained confidence in my problem-solving skills and overcoming obstacles when it comes to IT projects . Samuel J. Jacobs

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

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

The Living Lab has given me the chance to work on a project that I have yet to encounter in my six years of IT experience. It’s broadened my horizons and given me a great chance to work with other students in my field. I have also been able to pick up information from other fields of IT that I wouldn’t have been able to learn in my current job. Jerry Henderson

The Living Lab experience has helped me better understand my abilities and what I need to work on. I worked with others in a team and also learned to lead others when my project needed help. In a previous IT job, I did similar tasks to those in the Living Lab, and it shows just how good an experience this can be to help others be better prepared when they graduate. Justin Tanner Andrew