“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” — Epictetus

🚀 Genesis of OPFORGE

The launch of OPFORGE marks the deliberate beginning of a long-range effort to build a portfolio-driven, enterprise-grade cyber operations lab. This post documents the rationale, guiding principles, and initial actions to set up the OPFORGE lab environment using VMware Workstation Pro.

📌 Abstract

Problem Statement: Many cyber professionals lack a personalized, practical testbed to validate tools, emulate adversaries, and showcase capabilities. OPFORGE fills that gap through structured lab design.

Methodology: This phase established foundational infrastructure: created core VM folders, downloaded initial VM images, and structured network segmentation to support growth.

Certifications & Academic Link: This project supports CISSP (security architecture), OSCP (hands-on exploitation testbed), and forms the environment for future GCFA/GCFR forensics testing.

Expected Outcomes: Establish base VM structure, logical folder organization, and prepare for segmentation and routing in follow-on phases.

📚 Prerequisites

• VMware Workstation Pro (or equivalent hypervisor)
• Host system with at least 64GB RAM and 1TB storage
• Basic familiarity with virtual machine deployment
• Target VMs downloaded: Windows 10, Kali Linux, pfSense, Ubuntu Server

✅ Tasks This Phase

• Define OPFORGE project structure: E:/OPFORGE/VMs/ with subfolders by role
• Download and validate OS images from trusted sources
• Deploy base VMs:
  • opf-mbr01 (Windows endpoint)
  • opf-blue01 (SIFT workstation)
  • opf-red01 (Kali Linux)
  • opf-fw-dmz (pfSense firewall)
  • opf-dc01 (Domain Controller)
• Plan logical subnets for future segmentation
• Design base lab network using VMware custom VMnets

🔧 Configuration Highlights

VM Folder Structure

E:/OPFORGE/VMs/
├── Endpoints/
│   ├── OPF-MBR01
│   └── OPF-BLUE01
├── Infrastructure/
│   ├── OPF-DC01
│   └── OPF-FW-DMZ
├── Attack/
│   └── OPF-RED01

VM Network Plan (Initial Draft)

🌟 Key Takeaways

• A clear file and folder structure supports long-term lab sustainability
• Early VM deployment sets the stage for future segmentation and attack simulation
• Planning subnets early simplifies routing and firewall implementation later

🧭 On Deck

• Implement routing via VyOS to enable inter-subnet communication
• Configure pfSense interfaces and NAT rules
• Begin testing DNS and AD join for opf-mbr01

From the first VM clone to the final lateral movement, OPFORGE begins with purpose.

• H.Y.P.R.