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Instructions
The purpose of this lab is to recognize the
risks, threats, and vulnerabilities commonly found in the workstation domain.
You will identify known vulnerabilities and exploits on the Common
Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database listing. You will describe how
risks, threats, and vulnerabilities or misconfigurations at the operating
system level in the workstation domain might expose that workstation. You will
also identify steps to harden the workstation domain operating system and
applications installed on the user’s workstation for compliance and
safeguarding of sensitive data and access to that data.
Finally, you will apply Department of Defense
(DoD) guidelines for securing the workstation domain, including the review and
assessment of Windows 10 and Windows 2016 security guidelines. Participate
in each section of the lab and follow the instructions for the exercises in
each section. You will use a text document to develop your homework assignment
by completing the sections listed below:
Lab 5.1a
Review the following scenario:
You are a security consultant
for an information systems security firm and have a new healthcare provider
client under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
compliance. Your new client wants to know the requirements and business drivers
for securing the workstation domain in its healthcare environment. Your new
client requires compliance with HIPAA. Similarly, your firm has a DoD client
that also wants you to perform a workstation domain compliance audit per DoD
workstation hardening guidelines and baseline requirements.
In your homework assignment,
discuss how the compliance law requirements and business drivers for the
healthcare provider’s workstation domain might differ from the DoD’s
workstation domain security compliance requirements.
Lab 5.1b
Launch your Web browser. Navigate to the
following website: http://cve.mitre.org.
Review the site, and then in your homework assignment, identify the risks,
threats, and vulnerabilities commonly found in the workstation domain.
Launch your Web browser. Navigate to the
following website: https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/.
Review the Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) available and the
proper implementation of security based on DoD’s workstation/desktop hardening
guidelines.
In your document, discuss three STIGs and the
DoD’s workstation/desktop hardening guidelines.
Lab 5.1c
Launch your Web browser. Navigate to the
following website: https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/
Search for the ‘Desktop Application’ Security
Technical Implementation Guide (Version 4, Release 5) document from the STIG
database website.
Review the following concepts from this
overarching DoD standards document and, in your homework assignment, discuss
the significant points of two of these
topics:
Appropriate backup strategy does not exist
Public instant message clients are installed
Peer-to-Peer clients or utilities are installed
Execution Restricted File Type Properties
Open-restricted File Type Properties
You can view the contents of the STIG by
visiting the following sit

e: https://vaulted.io/library/disa-stigs-srgs/desktop_applications_general
Lab 5.1d
Launch your Web browser. Type the following
Web address: https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/
Using the search tool search for and review
Microsoft Windows Firewall STIG and Advanced Security. View the STIG. Determine
which technical controls are appropriate for the Windows OS.
Note these in your text document.
The STIGs Master List (A to Z) link can be
found at this link: https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/downloads/.
Scroll down the list to locate and then
download the following Windows OS security guideline documents/zip files:
Windows 10 STIG (you
will see several Windows 10 STIG options; click the one with only a Version number and a Release number
after STIG).
Windows 2016 STIG (you
will see a couple of Windows 2016 STIG options; click the one with only a Version number and a Release number
after STIG).
Once you have downloaded the Windows 10 STIG
ZIP file to your desktop, double-click the ZIP file to extract the Windows 10
STIG folder. Double-click the folder to open it, double-click the Windows 10
Manual STIG ZIP file to extract the Windows 10 Manual STIG folder, double-click
the folder to open it, and then double-click the Windows 10 STIG Manual XML
file to open it. For help in viewing an XML file, watch the this video on How to Easily View a STIG XML file
In your Microsoft Word document, identify at
least five security areas that the Windows 10 and Server 2016 STIGs identifies
as critical that would fix the issue. Discuss the critical areas and how they
were mitigated.
Lab 5.1e
Navigate to the following website: http://cve.mitre.org/
Review the National Cyber Security Division of
the U.S. Homeland Security Department’s CVE listing hosted by the Mitre
Corporation. To access the CVE listing, click CVE List in the left-hand column
to reach the CVE List main page. In your homework assignment, discuss how
workstation domain OS and application software vulnerabilities are housed in
the CVE listing. Next, click the National Vulnerability Database link on the CVE
homepage or CVE List main page. In your text document, discuss how
vulnerabilities are housed in the National Vulnerability Database.
Discuss how this is both a security control
tool and an attack tool used by hackers.
Lab 5.2
Write an executive summary to discuss the top
workstation domain risks, threats, and vulnerabilities, and include a
description of the risk mitigation tactics you would perform to audit the
workstation domain for compliance. Use the U.S. DoD workstation hardening
guidelines as your example for a baseline definition for compliance.
Submit the document to your instructor as a
deliverable for this homework assignment.
NOTE: When you submit your homework
assignment, you can combine the assignments into one document for grading.
Please clearly mark the answers for Lab 5.1a, Lab 5.1b, Lab 5.1c, Lab 5.1d, Lab
5.1e, Lab 5.1f and Lab 5.2 within your submission by labeling those sections
within your homework assignment.
Your homework assignment should be a minimum
of three pages in APA format. Include a minimum of two sources