Building a Red Team Lab With a Firewall and Active Directory Domain Controller

Summary

A hands-on tutorial builds the foundation of an intentionally vulnerable Active Directory lab, installing a virtual firewall and using an AI-generated PowerShell script to configure a Windows Server domain controller.

Key points

• The presenter configures a virtual firewall with separate bridged external and internal network adapters for the testing lab.
• An AI-generated PowerShell script installs the domain controller; the presenter resolves password requirements before it completes successfully.
• The presenter uses a password manager to generate and store a new firewall root password after losing the previous one.
• The firewall initially restricts web UI access to the internal interface. The presenter temporarily disables filtering, then creates an HTTPS rule and changes the private-network setting to restore access.
• The presenter discusses delegation and its potential security implications, while noting uncertainty about parts of the explanation.
• The presenter plans to publish lab automation scripts and add intentionally vulnerable users and configurations in later work.