L7 Business Simulation – Cyber Security: Ethical Hacking and Vulnerability Assessment
This assessment is an individual cybersecurity portfolio based on a simulated business environment involving a fictional client, VulnTech Inc. Students take the role of a junior cybersecurity analyst and investigate vulnerabilities within a server deployed for the organisation’s legacy systems. The practical activities use the TryHackMe platform to simulate the web server environment and require students to apply ethical hacking techniques within an authorised scenario. The assessment focuses on the first three phases of ethical hacking: footprinting, scanning and enumeration, and gaining access. Students are required to gather information about the VulnTech server, including relevant details about its domain, IP range, network infrastructure, operating system, name servers, open ports and other technical information. They must provide evidence of the tools used, justify their selection, critically evaluate the methodology adopted and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies. The second task involves scanning and enumerating the server using information obtained during the footprinting stage. Students must identify potential vulnerabilities and provide evidence of the tools and methods used. The assessment requires students to critically evaluate their available options, explain the reasoning behind their decisions and recommend suitable strategies for mitigating identified risks. The third task requires students to gain access to the VulnTech server by exploiting one of the vulnerabilities identified during scanning and enumeration. Evidence of the tools and methodology must be provided, together with a critical evaluation of the approach, justification of decisions and recommendations for addressing the identified vulnerabilities. Students must also provide evidence of completing at least four different TryHackMe rooms or modules undertaken during the semester. The final component is a 1,500-word summary report reflecting on the key insights gained throughout the tasks. This report should consolidate the student's learning, discuss the main challenges and vulnerabilities identified, evaluate mitigation recommendations and critically examine the legal and ethical considerations associated with cybersecurity and ethical hacking practices. The assessment is designed to develop students' ability to analyse business and cybersecurity environments, identify organisational issues, evaluate alternative approaches, make informed management decisions and justify resource allocation. It also requires consideration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) implications and the potential effect of cybersecurity practices on organisational perception and performance. The portfolio uses Harvard referencing, with appropriate academic and external sources cited throughout.
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