- Using Host Only or NAT for network adapter settings when running workstation virtualization products like VMware Workstation or Virtual Box
- Purchasing a managed switch like a NetGear Web Managed Switch to create separate subnets for different devices and simple ACL lists
- Creating multiple virtual networks within your hypervisor to manage instances and isolate test environments
- If you have a network tap or mirrored port on your switch, consider setting up a guest with WireShark or Snort. Inspecting your traffic periodically is a just a good idea to see where your home lab is communicating too. If you are looking for a good inexpensive TAP, check out DualComm’s Gigabyte Network Port Mirror.
- For virtual images, I recommend periodically cloning them to an external USB backup drive. Vmware Workstation and Fusion Pro make this easy by connecting to an ESXi server and cloning an instance to your local system or external USB hard disk.
- For network gear, I recommend using the backup config utility available in most devices every time I make a change. This is a simple step to remember and could save you a ton of trouble if the device ever dies or becomes corrupt.
- For physical systems, honestly, I do not have a foolproof method. Depending on the device, I clone the disk to an image file to backing up key files in the cloud. This is why I prefer virtual instances whenever possible.
Morey J. Haber, Chief Security Advisor
Morey J. Haber is the Chief Security Advisor at BeyondTrust. As the Chief Security Advisor, Morey is the lead identity and technical evangelist at BeyondTrust. He has more than 25 years of IT industry experience and has authored four books: Privileged Attack Vectors, Asset Attack Vectors, Identity Attack Vectors, and Cloud Attack Vectors. Morey has previously served as BeyondTrust’s Chief Security Officer, Chief Technology, and Vice President of Product Management during his nearly 12-year tenure. In 2020, Morey was elected to the Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA) Executive Advisory Board, assisting the corporate community with identity security best practices. He originally joined BeyondTrust in 2012 as a part of the acquisition of eEye Digital Security, where he served as a Product Owner and Solutions Engineer, since 2004. Prior to eEye, he was Beta Development Manager for Computer Associates, Inc. He began his career as Reliability and Maintainability Engineer for a government contractor building flight and training simulators. Morey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.