Lab 6: Backups

Introduction

In this lab, you’ll focus on creating and managing backups for essential network services and systems to ensure data integrity and quick recovery in case of failure or redteam activities. You’ll practice configuring automated and secure backup strategies.

Configuration Instructions

Virtual Machines and Operating Systems

You will be working with:

  • 1 Ubuntu 20.04 Machine
  • 2 Rocky 8 Machines

Network Configuration

Since your machines do not currently have internet access, you will need to configure the network as follows:

  1. Lab-6-SSH-FTP Machine:
    • WAN (ens18 interface):
      • IP: 172.18.<ID>.7/16
      • Gateway: 172.18.0.1
      • DNS: 172.18.0.1
  2. Lab-6-DNS Machine:
    • LAN (ens18 interface):
      • IP: 172.18.<ID>.8/16
      • Gateway: 172.18.0.1
      • DNS: 172.18.0.1
  3. Lab-6-Backup Machine:
    • LAN (ens18 interface):
      • IP: 172.18.<ID>.9/16
      • Gateway: 172.18.0.1
      • DNS: 172.18.0.1

Accessing the Virtual Machines

Scoreboard Key

  • Green arrows indicate that everything is working as intended.
  • Orange exclamation marks indicate that something is partially working.
  • Red down arrows indicate that something is not working.

You can hover over each specific arrow, and a tooltip will appear with a hint on what is wrong or not working.

Credentials

  • All VMs have the same login credentials:
    • Username: blueteam
    • Password: abc123

File Creation and Content

  • If a referenced file does not exist, you must create it.
  • For any questions requiring files to contain specific content, use the Lab-6-backup machine.

Pass Criteria

P1: Backup Tool Installation and Configuration

Install a backup tool. Verify installation by running a test backup.

  1. Install rsync onto each machine.
  2. Using rsync backup the file /etc/ssh/sshd_config from the Lab-6-SSH-FTP machine to the Lab-6-Backup machine. Place the backup file in the /backups/ssh-ftp directory.

P2: Backup Verification

  1. Compare the MD5 file hash of the original file and the backup. Enter the lines original:<filehash> and backup:<filehash> into the file /home/blueteam/P2/P2.txt on the Lab-6-Backup machine.
  2. The file hashes should be the same. If they are not the file has been changed.

P3: Backup Restoration

To complete P3 P1-P2 must have a green arrow before starting.

  1. Check the hashes again. This time they should be different.
  2. Use rsync to restore the backup file from Lab-6-Backup to Lab-6-SSH-FTP.

Merit Criteria

M1: Backup Tool Installation and Configuration

  1. Automate the backup of sshd_config from Lab-6-SSH-FTP to Lab-6-Backup (using the blueteam crontab) to run every 2 minutes and only backup files that have been changed since the last backup. This will be manually graded by a TA. Ensure that you preserve:
    • file permissions
    • file owner(s)
    • timestamps
  2. Back up the following files and directories:
    • Lab-6-SSH-FTP
      • /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      • /etc/vsftpd.conf
      • /etc/shadow
      • /etc/passwd
  • Lab-6-DNS
    • /etc/ssh/sshd_config
    • /etc/named.conf
    • /etc/shadow
    • /etc/passwd
  • Place the backups in /backups/ssh-ftp and /backups/dns respectively on the Lab-6-Backup machine.

M2: Cloud Backups

  1. Choose an offsite solution to back up 3 of the files outlined in M1. Some options include Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, GitHub etc. We would advise against using your personal accounts for this, especially during the competition, as the redteam may compromise your real account credentials if you use them.

    Note: If you back up valid and secure configuration files of various places to a public github repo, you can use those during the NCAE competition either to reset your service configuration or to reference as you secure it :)

  2. This will need to be passed off manually with a TA.

Distinction Criteria

D1: Backup Restoration

To complete D1 P1-P3 and M1 must have a green arrow before starting.

  1. It appears that some of your files have been maliciously altered since you backed them up. Using rsync restore all the files from the Lab-6-Backup machine to their original machine, only if the file has changed.

Submission

You don’t need to submit anything for this lab. All of the above criteria will be auto-graded unless stated otherwise. Once you have finished the lab you will have to do a verbal pass off with a TA.

Pass Off Questions

You will be asked two of these questions at random during your verbal pass-off.

  1. Why would you want to back up files?
  2. What strengths does rsync have to other backup solutions?
  3. What are some risks of automating backups / restores?
  4. What would YOU do in a competition setting for backups?

Grading

  • Pass: All Pass criteria and verbal pass-off has been completed.
  • Merit: All Pass and Merit criteria completed.
  • Distinction: All Pass, Merit, and Distinction criteria completed.

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