February 2016 archive

PowerShell Version 5 is Available for Download (again)

After about two months of Microsoft PowerShell developers working around the clock (probably), the bug that wound up causing the WMF 5.0 RTM installer to be pulled is now fixed. There was an issue with the original release dealing with PSModulePath ($Env:PSModulePath) which was reset to default after installation of the original PowerShell v5 installer. …

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Building an Effective Active Directory Lab Environment for Testing

This post is not meant to describe the ultimate lab configuration. Instead the focus is on a lab environment that can be stood up quickly and easily as a learning tool. The best way to learn about computer networking and security is to have a home lab. The great thing is that a home lab …

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Detecting Offensive PowerShell Attack Tools

At DerbyCon V (2015), I presented on Active Directory Attack & Defense and part of this included how to detect & defend against PowerShell attacks. Update: I presented at BSides Charm (Baltimore) on PowerShell attack & defense in April 2016. More information on PowerShell Security: PowerShell Security: PowerShell Attack Tools, Mitigation, & Detection The most …

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PowerShell Version 5 Security Enhancements

PowerShell version 5 is RTM (As of 12/18/2015). Prior to this there was a “production preview” available since August which means it was supported, but not final. With the final release of PowerShell v5 now available, I highly recommend you download PowerShell v5 and start testing to prepare for production deployment. While the PowerShell v5 …

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