Getting your Security+ lab settings right before the first lab saves hours of reconfiguration later, so this guide covers the complete baseline. For example, every lab in the series starts from the same two VMs.
Every lab in the Security+ series assumes the same small, controlled environment. This page defines it once: what to install, how the network is wired, and the safety rules that keep your experiments off real networks. Set this up once and each lab becomes a ten-minute launch.
dns LAB TOPOLOGY & PREREQUISITES
# example values used while writing and testing this guide
LAB VM
ATTACK VM
TARGETS
01constructionThe Cast of Machines
- Kali Linux VM — the assessment workstation (2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk). Install per the Kali guide
- Windows 10 VM — the primary target (2-4 GB RAM, 40 GB disk). See Before You Begin for obtaining the ISO
- Optional later: a Windows Server VM with Active Directory, once you extend into enterprise attack paths
- All on a hypervisor of your choice — VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, or ESXi per the home lab guide
02downloadNetwork Design
Keep the lab in its own broadcast domain, with no route to the internet or your LAN:
- VMware: a dedicated LAN segment or host-only network for both VMs
- VirtualBox: an Internal Network named identically on both machines
Use a reserved subnet like 192.168.50.0/24 and static addresses. No DHCP needed — that is the point: nothing outside the lab should even see its traffic.
03usbSnapshot Discipline
- Get each VM to a clean baseline state and power it off
- Take a snapshot named
clean-baseon both machines - Before every lab, restore to
clean-base, do the exercise, then restore again
Snapshots are what make destructive experiments (malware analysis, misconfiguration drills) safe to repeat.
04terminalSafety Rules
- Only run tools against machines you own, inside the isolated network
- Never bridge the lab network to your home network with these tools installed
- Treat every finding you generate as practice data: the Security+ exam tests that you can interpret results, and your notes become your revision material
Once this environment is running, start with Lab 01.
Q&AquizFrequently Asked Questions About Security+ Lab Settings
Why must the lab network stay isolated?
Because scanning tools are aggressive by nature. An isolated segment keeps your experiments off home and production networks, so nothing you practice can leak outward.
How much disk does the lab need?
Plan for about 60 GB total: 20 GB for Kali, 40 GB for Windows 10, plus snapshot space. In addition, keep the ISOs on the host so you can rebuild quickly.
Why snapshots before every lab?
Security exercises often break things on purpose. Snapshots restore a clean baseline in minutes, which keeps the series repeatable.
Do I need a Windows Server VM too?
Not at first. Start with the two-client setup, then add a server when you want to practice domain attacks, following the domain controller guide.
EXTopen_in_newExternal Resources
These official guides go deeper on Security+ lab settings.
Related Content
How to Install Kali Linux
Finish this lab, then continue down the track. Each guide builds on the one before it.