Setting up a virtual lab environment

To protect yourself and your network, it is imperative to take preventative steps when handling and analyzing malware. One of the best ways to do so is to set up an isolated virtual lab environment. A virtual lab environment consists of one or more Virtual Machines (VMs) in an isolated network. Isolating the network prevents malware from spreading through the network, at the cost of less realistic malware behavior.

Getting ready

In preparation for this recipe, do the following:

1. Install a hypervisor.

A hypervisor is software that allows you to control VMs. One instance is VirtualBox, available for download for free at https://www.virtualbox.org/:

2. Download a virtual image.

A virtual...