Cyber Security Internship Portfolio

Name	Internship Company
DIWAKAR	Elevate Labs

Introduction

This repository serves as a comprehensive portfolio of the projects and tasks completed during a 3-month Cyber Security Internship. The work documented here showcases practical, hands-on experience across various cybersecurity domains, including ethical hacking, network security, vulnerability assessment, and threat analysis. Throughout the internship, multiple real-world tasks and projects were undertaken to strengthen foundational cybersecurity skills and apply theoretical knowledge in practical environments.

Tasks and Project Overview

Below is a summary of the key tasks and the final project undertaken during the internship period.

#	Title	Domain	Key Skills Demonstrated
1	Local Network Port Scanning with Nmap	Network Reconnaissance	Network Scanning, Service & Version Detection, Nmap
2	Phishing Email Analysis	Threat Analysis	Phishing Detection, Header Analysis, Social Engineering Tactics
3	Vulnerability Scanning with Nessus Essentials	Vulnerability Management	Vulnerability Scanning, Risk Assessment, Remediation (SSL)
4	Linux Firewall Configuration with UFW	Network Security	Firewall Management, Rule-Based Filtering, Linux Security (UFW)
5	Network Traffic Analysis with Wireshark	Packet Analysis	Packet Capturing, Protocol Analysis (TCP, UDP, DNS), Filtering
6	Strong Password Creation and Evaluation	Security Best Practices	Password Security Principles, Brute-Force/Dictionary Attack Mitigation
7	Suspicious Browser Extension Audit	Endpoint Security	Browser Security, Risk Assessment, Permission Analysis
8	VPN for Privacy and Security	Privacy & Anonymity	VPN Technology, IP Masking, Traffic Encryption (ProtonVPN)
P	Keylogger with Encrypted Data Exfiltration	Ethical Hacking & Development	Python, Data Encryption, Network Communication, Persistence Mechanisms

Detailed Task Descriptions

Task 1: Local Network Port Scan

This task focused on network reconnaissance fundamentals by performing scans on a local network using Nmap. The process involved identifying active hosts, discovering open ports, and fingerprinting the services running on them to identify potential security weaknesses.

Task 2: Analyze a Phishing Email Sample

An analysis of seven phishing email samples was conducted to identify common social engineering tactics and technical indicators of a malicious email. The investigation involved examining sender addresses, analyzing (simulated) email headers, identifying suspicious links, and recognizing urgent or threatening language designed to manipulate users.

Task 3: Basic Vulnerability Scan with Nessus Essentials

A vulnerability assessment was performed on a local machine using Nessus Essentials. This included setting up the scanner, running a "Basic Network Scan," analyzing the report, and remediating a discovered medium-severity vulnerability related to an untrusted SSL certificate on the Nessus web interface itself.

Task 4: Setup and Use a Firewall on Linux

This task involved configuring and testing a host-based firewall on a Linux system using Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW). Rules were implemented to block and allow traffic on specific ports (e.g., blocking Telnet port 23, allowing SSH port 22), providing practical experience in enforcing network security policies.

Task 5: Capture and Analyze Network Traffic Using Wireshark

Live network traffic was captured and analyzed using Wireshark to identify and understand common network protocols. The captured data was filtered to isolate and inspect various protocol flows, including TCP, UDP, DNS, and ARP, demonstrating the fundamentals of packet analysis.

Task 6: Creating and Evaluating Strong Passwords

This exercise explored the principles of robust password security. Various passwords were created and evaluated using a strength checker to analyze the impact of length, character diversity (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols), and predictability on overall security against common attack vectors like brute-force and dictionary attacks.

Task 7: Identify and Remove Suspicious Browser Extensions

An audit of installed browser extensions was performed to identify potential privacy and security risks. The review focused on evaluating extension permissions, leading to the restriction of an extension with excessive data access permissions and a broader understanding of how malicious extensions can compromise a system.

Task 8: Working with VPNs

This task provided hands-on experience with Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) using ProtonVPN. The process included setting up a VPN client, verifying the change in public IP address, confirming traffic encryption, and comparing network performance. The benefits and limitations of using a VPN for privacy and security were also summarized.

Final Project Description

Project: Keylogger with Encrypted Data Exfiltration

This capstone project involved developing a sophisticated keylogging tool for educational purposes within an ethical hacking lab environment. The solution consists of a stealthy client (enhanced_keylogger.py) and a Flask-based command-and-control server (enhanced_server.py).

Keylogger Features:
Implemented stealth operations, Windows startup persistence, and an emergency stop key. All captured keystrokes were encrypted using AES128-CBC (Fernet) before exfiltration.

Server Features:
A web-based control panel was developed to receive, decrypt, and display logged data in real-time. It included remote control capabilities, such as a kill switch and persistence management.

Skills Acquired:
Advanced Python scripting, symmetric encryption, client-server communication, web application development with Flask, and Windows system interactions.

Core Competencies and Skills

Throughout this internship, a diverse set of cybersecurity skills were developed and honed:

Offensive Security

• Network Reconnaissance
• Vulnerability Scanning
• Ethical Hacking Concepts

Defensive Security

• Firewall Management
• Endpoint Security
• Network Traffic Analysis

Threat Intelligence

• Phishing Analysis
• Social Engineering Awareness

Security Principles

• Data Encryption
• Password Security
• Privacy-Enhancing Technologies

Technical Proficiencies

Category	Tools/Technologies
Tools	Nmap, Nessus, Wireshark, UFW, ProtonVPN
Languages & Frameworks	Python, Flask

Disclaimer

All projects and tasks documented in this repository were conducted for educational purposes only in a controlled lab environment. The tools and techniques described should not be used for any unauthorized or malicious activities. The author is not responsible for any misuse of the information contained herein.