Verified Docker Desktop installation with docker run hello-world.
Launched an Ubuntu container using docker run -it ubuntu bash, confirming entry into a minimal shell environment.
Key observation: Docker images are lightweight because they reuse the host kernel, unlike full virtual machine ISOs.
Considered security implications of container isolation and potential pivoting to the host kernel.
Evaluated the feasibility of running Kali Linux in a container.
Determined that while command-line use is practical, graphical interface support is limited, making hypervisors better suited for GUI-heavy tools.
Noted Red Team use cases for Docker:
Rapid deployment of disposable lab environments.
Packaging and distributing custom tools or exploits.
Simulating attacker infrastructure without impacting the host environment.
Sysadmin Work – Intune and Autopilot
Tasked with preparing a new Windows 11 ThinkPad under company device management.
Worked across admin.microsoft.com, intune.microsoft.com, and entra.microsoft.com to configure user and device enrollment.
Key steps completed:
Created a user account in Entra.
Established device groups for the Project Manager role.
Identified that Autopilot requires a hardware hash rather than the standard hardware ID.
Observed the OOBE screen device-naming prompt as part of enrollment.
Clarified that Autopilot deployment profiles must be pre-assigned to groups/devices prior to user login.
Determined that Security Groups are preferable to Microsoft 365 Groups for device targeting in Entra.
GitHub Workflow
Edited and published Markdown-based lab notes directly from the terminal using vim.
Reviewed the distinction between commit and push operations:
git commit records changes locally within the repository history.
git push transmits committed changes to the remote repository on GitHub.
Successfully published lab notes to the GitHub Pages site via the command line.
Open WebUI and Containers
Deployed the Open WebUI container and confirmed its healthy running status using docker ps.
Compared Open WebUI’s interface to ChatGPT and noted similarities.
Practiced container lifecycle management, including termination and restart.
Prepared to rerun setup using an extracted one-liner script from a referenced tutorial.
Additional Technical Notes
Practiced handling special characters during file renaming in zsh (escaping &).
Verified staged files and commit status within Git.
Reflections
The day focused on strengthening both endpoint management (Autopilot/Intune) and containerization fundamentals (Docker).
Sysadmin exposure reinforced understanding of enterprise device onboarding, an area highly relevant to defensive and offensive security perspectives.
Docker continues to emerge as an efficient method for rapid lab creation, though the trade-offs with virtual machines remain important for penetration testing.