Powershell Automation And Scripting For Cybersecurity

Explore PowerShell's offensive and defensive capabilities to strengthen your organization's security with this practical guide Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Key Features Master PowerShell for security by configuring, auditing, monitoring, exploiting, and bypassing defenses Research and develop methods to bypass security features and use stealthy tradecraft Explore essential security features in PowerShell and protect your environment against exploits and bypasses Book DescriptionTake your cybersecurity skills to the next level with this comprehensive guide to PowerShell security! Whether you’re a red or blue teamer, you’ll gain a deep understanding of PowerShell’s security capabilities and how to use them. After revisiting PowerShell basics and scripting fundamentals, you’ll dive into PowerShell Remoting and remote management technologies. You’ll learn how to configure and analyze Windows event logs and understand the most important event logs and IDs to monitor your environment. You’ll dig deeper into PowerShell’s capabilities to interact with the underlying system, Active Directory and Azure AD. Additionally, you’ll explore Windows internals including APIs and WMI, and how to run PowerShell without powershell.exe. You’ll uncover authentication protocols, enumeration, credential theft, and exploitation, to help mitigate risks in your environment, along with a red and blue team cookbook for day-to-day security tasks. Finally, you’ll delve into mitigations, including Just Enough Administration, AMSI, application control, and code signing, with a focus on configuration, risks, exploitation, bypasses, and best practices. By the end of this book, you’ll have a deep understanding of how to employ PowerShell from both a red and blue team perspective.What you will learn Leverage PowerShell, its mitigation techniques, and detect attacks Fortify your environment and systems against threats Get unique insights into event logs and IDs in relation to PowerShell and detect attacks Configure PSRemoting and learn about risks, bypasses, and best practices Use PowerShell for system access, exploitation, and hijacking Red and blue team introduction to Active Directory and Azure AD security Discover PowerShell security measures for attacks that go deeper than simple commands Explore JEA to restrict what commands can be executed Who this book is for This book is for security professionals, penetration testers, system administrators, and red and blue teams looking to learn how to leverage PowerShell for security operations. A basic understanding of PowerShell, cybersecurity fundamentals, and scripting is a must. For some parts a basic understanding of active directory, C++/C#, and assembly can be beneficial.

Bring together the Python programming language and Microsoft’s PowerShell to address digital investigations and create state-of-the-art solutions for administrators, IT personnel, cyber response teams, and forensic investigators. You will learn how to join PowerShell's robust set of commands and access to the internals of both the MS Windows desktop and enterprise devices and Python's rich scripting environment allowing for the rapid development of new tools for investigation, automation, and deep analysis. PowerShell and Python Together takes a practical approach that provides an entry point and level playing field for a wide range of individuals, small companies, researchers, academics, students, and hobbyists to participate. What You’ll Learn Leverage the internals of PowerShell for: digital investigation, incident response, and forensics Leverage Python to exploit already existing PowerShell CmdLets and aliases to build new automation and analysis capabilities Create combined PowerShell and Python applications that provide: rapid response capabilities to cybersecurity events, assistance in the precipitous collection of critical evidence (from the desktop and enterprise), and the ability to analyze, reason about, and respond to events and evidence collected across the enterprise Who This Book Is For System administrators, IT personnel, incident response teams, forensic investigators, professors teaching in undergraduate and graduate programs in cybersecurity, students in cybersecurity and computer science programs, and software developers and engineers developing new cybersecurity defenses

A practical guide to vulnerability assessment and mitigation with PowerShell Key Features Leverage PowerShell's unique capabilities at every stage of the Cyber Kill Chain, maximizing your effectiveness Perform network enumeration techniques and exploit weaknesses with PowerShell's built-in and custom tools Learn how to conduct penetration testing on Microsoft Azure and AWS environments Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Book DescriptionPowerShell for Penetration Testing is a comprehensive guide designed to equip you with the essential skills you need for conducting effective penetration tests using PowerShell. You'll start by laying a solid foundation by familiarizing yourself with the core concepts of penetration testing and PowerShell scripting. In this part, you'll get up to speed with the fundamental scripting principles and their applications across various platforms. You’ll then explore network enumeration, port scanning, exploitation of web services, databases, and more using PowerShell tools. Hands-on exercises throughout the book will solidify your understanding of concepts and techniques. Extending the scope to cloud computing environments, particularly MS Azure and AWS, this book will guide you through conducting penetration tests in cloud settings, covering governance, reconnaissance, and networking intricacies. In the final part, post-exploitation techniques, including command-and-control structures and privilege escalation using PowerShell, will be explored. This section encompasses post-exploitation activities on both Microsoft Windows and Linux systems. By the end of this book, you’ll have covered concise explanations, real-world examples, and exercises that will help you seamlessly perform penetration testing techniques using PowerShell.What you will learn Get up to speed with basic and intermediate scripting techniques in PowerShell Automate penetration tasks, build custom scripts, and conquer multiple platforms Explore techniques to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in network services using PowerShell Access and manipulate web-based applications and services with PowerShell Find out how to leverage PowerShell for Active Directory and LDAP enumeration and exploitation Conduct effective pentests on cloud environments using PowerShell's cloud modules Who this book is for This book is for aspiring and intermediate pentesters as well as other cybersecurity professionals looking to advance their knowledge. Anyone interested in PowerShell scripting for penetration testing will also find this book helpful. A basic understanding of IT systems and some programming experience will help you get the most out of this book.

Learn to use PowerShell, Microsoft's scripting language, to automate real-world tasks that IT professionals and system administrators deal with every day. Save Time. Automate. PowerShell® is both a scripting language and an administrative shell that lets you control and automate nearly every aspect of IT. In PowerShell for Sysadmins, five-time Microsoft® MVP "Adam the Automator" Bertram shows you how to use PowerShell to manage and automate your desktop and server environments so that you can head out for an early lunch. You'll learn how to: Combine commands, control flow, handle errors, write scripts, run scripts remotely, and test scripts with the PowerShell testing framework, Pester Parse structured data like XML and JSON, work with common domains (like Active Directory, Azure, and Amazon Web Services), and create a real-world server inventory script Design and build a PowerShell module to demonstrate PowerShell isn't just about ad-hoc scripts Use PowerShell to create a hands-off, completely automated Windows deployment Build an entire Active Directory forest from nothing but a Hyper-V host and a few ISO files Create endless Web and SQL servers with just a few lines of code! Real-world examples throughout help bridge the gap between theory and actual system, and the author's anecdotes keep things lively. Stop with the expensive software and fancy consultants. Learn how to manage your own environment with PowerShell for Sysadmins and make everyone happy. Covers Windows PowerShell v5.1

Summary Discover how scripting is different from command-line PowerShell, as you explore concrete hands-on examples in this handy guide. The book includes and expands on many of the techniques presented in Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the Technology Automate it! With Microsoft's PowerShell language, you can write scripts to control nearly every aspect of Windows. Just master a few straightforward scripting skills, and you'll be able to eliminate repetitive manual tasks, create custom reusable tools, and build effective pipelines and workflows. Once you start scripting in PowerShell, you'll be amazed at how many opportunities you'll find to save time and effort. About the Book Learn PowerShell Scripting in a Month of Lunches teaches you how to expand your command-line PowerShell skills into effective scripts and tools. In 27 bite-size lessons, you'll discover instantly useful techniques for writing efficient code, finding and squashing bugs, organizing your scripts into libraries, and much more. Advanced scripters will even learn to access the .NET Framework, store data long term, and create nice user interfaces. What's Inside Designing functions and scripts Effective pipeline usage Dealing with errors and bugs Professional-grade scripting practices About the Reader Written for devs and IT pros comfortable with PowerShell and Windows. About the Authors Don Jones is a PowerShell MVP, speaker, and trainer who has written dozens of books on information technology topics. Jeffery Hicks is a PowerShell MVP and an independent consultant, trainer, and author. Don and Jeff coauthored Manning's Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches, and PowerShell in Depth. Table of Contents PART 1 - INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTING Before you begin Setting up your scripting environment WWPD: what would PowerShell do? Review: parameter binding and the PowerShell pipeline Scripting language crash course The many forms of scripting (and which to use) Scripts and security PART 2 - BUILDING A POWERSHELL SCRIPT Always design first Avoiding bugs: start with a command Building a basic function and script module Going advanced with your function Objects: the best kind of output Using all the pipelines Simple help: making a comment Dealing with errors Filling out a manifest PART 3 - GROWN-UP SCRIPTING Changing your brain when it comes to scripting Professional-grade scripting An introduction to source control with git Pestering your script Signing your script Publishing your script PART 4 - ADVANCED TECHNIQUES Squashing bugs Making script output prettier Wrapping up the .NET Framework Storing data-not in Excel! Never the end

Enhance your skills in expert module development, deployment, security, DevOps, and cloud Key Features A step-by-step guide to get you started with PowerShell Core 6.0 Harness the capabilities of PowerShell Core 6.0 to perform simple to complex administration tasks Learn core administrative concepts such as scripting, pipelines, and DSC Book Description Beginning with an overview of the different versions of PowerShell, Learn PowerShell Core 6.0 introduces you to VSCode and then dives into helping you understand the basic techniques in PowerShell scripting. You will cover advanced coding techniques, learn how to write reusable code as well as store and load data with PowerShell. This book will help you understand PowerShell security and Just Enough Administration, enabling you to create your own PowerShell repository. The last set of chapters will guide you in setting up, configuring, and working with Release Pipelines in VSCode and VSTS, and help you understand PowerShell DSC. In addition to this, you will learn how to use PowerShell with Windows, Azure, Microsoft Online Services, SCCM, and SQL Server. The final chapter will provide you with some use cases and pro tips. By the end of this book, you will be able to create professional reusable code using security insight and knowledge of working with PowerShell Core 6.0 and its most important capabilities. What you will learn Get to grips with Powershell Core 6.0 Explore basic and advanced PowerShell scripting techniques Get to grips with Windows PowerShell Security Work with centralization and DevOps with PowerShell Implement PowerShell in your organization through real-life examples Learn to create GUIs and use DSC in production Who this book is for If you are a Windows administrator or a DevOps user who wants to leverage PowerShell to automate simple to complex tasks, then this book is for you. Whether you know nothing about PowerShell or just enough to get by, this guide will give you what you need to go to take your scripting to the next level. You’ll also find this book useful if you’re a PowerShell expert looking to expand your knowledge in areas such as PowerShell Security and DevOps.

Use real-world reconnaissance techniques to efficiently gather sensitive information on systems and networks Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Key Features Learn how adversaries use reconnaissance techniques to discover security vulnerabilities on systems Develop advanced open source intelligence capabilities to find sensitive information Explore automated reconnaissance and vulnerability assessment tools to profile systems and networks Book DescriptionThis book explores reconnaissance techniques – the first step in discovering security vulnerabilities and exposed network infrastructure. It aids ethical hackers in understanding adversaries’ methods of identifying and mapping attack surfaces, such as network entry points, which enables them to exploit the target and steal confidential information. Reconnaissance for Ethical Hackers helps you get a comprehensive understanding of how threat actors are able to successfully leverage the information collected during the reconnaissance phase to scan and enumerate the network, collect information, and pose various security threats. This book helps you stay one step ahead in knowing how adversaries use tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to successfully gain information about their targets, while you develop a solid foundation on information gathering strategies as a cybersecurity professional. The concluding chapters will assist you in developing the skills and techniques used by real adversaries to identify vulnerable points of entry into an organization and mitigate reconnaissance-based attacks. By the end of this book, you’ll have gained a solid understanding of reconnaissance, as well as learned how to secure yourself and your organization without causing significant disruption.What you will learn Understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures of reconnaissance Grasp the importance of attack surface management for organizations Find out how to conceal your identity online as an ethical hacker Explore advanced open source intelligence (OSINT) techniques Perform active reconnaissance to discover live hosts and exposed ports Use automated tools to perform vulnerability assessments on systems Discover how to efficiently perform reconnaissance on web applications Implement open source threat detection and monitoring tools Who this book is forIf you are an ethical hacker, a penetration tester, red teamer, or any cybersecurity professional looking to understand the impact of reconnaissance-based attacks, how they take place, and what organizations can do to protect against them, then this book is for you. Cybersecurity professionals will find this book useful in determining the attack surface of their organizations and assets on their network, while understanding the behavior of adversaries.

Unlock the power of automation: Master PowerShell in just 7 days KEY FEATURES ● Effortlessly navigate PowerShell's syntax and command structure. ● Master creating scripts and functions for efficient automation. ● Learn practical solutions for local and remote data management. DESCRIPTION "PowerShell in 7 Days" covers the fundamentals of PowerShell, its syntax, and its scripting capabilities concisely yet comprehensively. It is a practical toolkit that empowers busy IT professionals to become proficient PowerShell users. You can become capable of automating tasks and managing systems more efficiently within a week. Examine its history, versions, and various use cases before examining installation options for different platforms. Master modules, providers, commands, and pipelines to craft efficient scripts. Build reusable functions, control script flow with looping and error handling, and create scripts with diverse outputs. Use PowerShell remoting to manage systems remotely. Manage on-premises services like Active Directory and optimize performance by troubleshooting common issues. Finally, explore advanced functionalities like security best practices and signing scripts for confident use. By the end of the book, readers will have a solid understanding of working with both local and remote data, troubleshooting common issues using PowerShell, and writing scripts that save time and enhance productivity. Readers can transform their approach to tasks and challenges in their job roles, optimizing processes and deploying solutions quickly and effectively. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ● Master the basics of PowerShell syntax and command execution. ● Develop custom scripts for automation and system tasks. ● Efficiently manage and manipulate both local and remote data. ● Apply PowerShell for effective troubleshooting and problem-solving in real-world scenarios. ● Create advanced functions to streamline daily IT operations. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is ideal for IT professionals, system administrators, and tech enthusiasts keen on learning PowerShell. Basic familiarity with Windows operating systems and a keen interest in automation and scripting are recommended for readers. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introducing PowerShell 2. Setting Up PowerShell 3. Getting Started with Modules and Providers 4. Executing PowerShell Commands 5. Working with Variables and Pipelines 6. Deep Diving PowerShell Objects 7. Using Functions and Parameters 8. Flow Control, Looping, and Error Handling 9. Scripts for Multiple Output Paths 10. PowerShell Remoting, WinRM, and the Invoke-Comma 11. Managing On-premises Services 12. Troubleshooting Windows and Performance Optimization 13. Miscellaneous PowerShell Capabilities

This complete guide takes you on a tour of PowerShell from the basics to its advanced functionality, helping you automate your tedious and time-consuming system admin tasks Key Features Automate complex tasks, manipulate data, and secure your environment Work with dual code for PowerShell 7 and Windows PowerShell to maintain compatibility with older versions See PowerShell in action, from learning the fundamentals to creating classes, scripts, and modules Book DescriptionPowerShell scripts offer a convenient way to automate various tasks, but working with them can be daunting. Mastering PowerShell Scripting takes away the fear and helps you navigate through PowerShell's capabilities.This extensively revised edition includes new chapters on debugging and troubleshooting and creating GUIs (online chapter). Learn the new features of PowerShell 7.1 by working with parameters, objects, and .NET classes from within PowerShell 7.1. This comprehensive guide starts with the basics before moving on to advanced topics, including asynchronous processing, desired state configuration, using more complex scripts and filters, debugging issues, and error-handling techniques. Explore how to efficiently manage substantial amounts of data and interact with other services using PowerShell 7.1. This book will help you to make the most of PowerShell's automation features, using different methods to parse data, manipulate regular expressions, and work with Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).What you will learn Optimize code with functions, switches, and looping structures Test and debug your scripts as well as raising and catching errors Work with objects and operators to test and manipulate data Parse and manipulate different data types Use jobs, runspaces, and runspace pools to run code asynchronously Write .NET classes with ease within PowerShell Create and implement regular expressions in PowerShell scripts Make use of advanced techniques to define and restrict the behavior of parameters Who this book is for This book is for system administrators who want to automate and speed up their processes using PowerShell and Windows PowerShell. You’ll need to know the basics of operating systems, but beginners with no prior experience with PowerShell will have no trouble following along.

Start your career in Identity and Access Management field by learning about Active Directory and automate your work using PowerShell KEY FEATURES ● Understand Active Directory design and architecture. ● Deploy AD test environment in Azure and implement it using PowerShell. ● Manage the AD environment in a secure way and automate management using DevOps and PowerShell. DESCRIPTION “Active Directory and PowerShell for Jobseekers” takes you by the hand, and equips you with essential skills sought after by employers in today's IT landscape. This book walks you through every step of the Active Directory lifecycle, covering design, deployment, configuration, and management. Automation using PowerShell is emphasized, helping you learn how to automate processes with scripts. It begins with Active Directory management, creating a development environment in Azure. In the next stage you get a thorough overview of environment creation, configuration, monitoring, security settings and recovery. With examples presented through both manual steps and automated PowerShell scripts, this book allows readers to choose their preferred method for learning PowerShell automation. Additionally, it also introduces DevOps tools for cloud infrastructure, covering update management, monitoring, security, and automation resources. By the end of this book, you'll be confident and prepared to tackle real-world Active Directory challenges. You will also be able to impress potential employers with your in-demand skills and launch your career as a sought-after IT security specialist. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ● Learn about building the AD test environment in Azure. ● Configure Windows Servers to become AD domain controllers including DNS. ● Configure Active Directory to support network topology and customers’ needs. ● Secure and automate infrastructure management. ● Get familiar with interview questions that are related to the AD and PowerShell related jobs market. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is for junior system administrators or students who would like to learn about Active Directory or for readers who want to become Active Directory engineers. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Setting up the Development Environment 3. Active Directory Environment Creation 4. Active Directory Environment Configuration 5. Active Directory User Management 6. Active Directory Group Management 7. Active Directory Security Management 8. Monitor Active Directory 9. Active Directory Disaster Recovery 10. Manage Windows Server Using PowerShell 11. Securing PowerShell for AD Management 12. PowerShell DSC for AD Configuration Management 13. Interview Questions