This lab demonstrates the deployment and secure configuration of an Azure-hosted Ubuntu virtual machine. The project includes SSL/TLS certificate generation, Apache web server hardening, HTTPS enforcement, and Active Directory Group Policy configuration.
The objective was to configure a secure Apache web server inside an Azure virtual machine and apply directory-based security controls using Active Directory.
The Ubuntu virtual machine was successfully deployed in Microsoft Azure and accessed remotely through secure authentication.
This confirms proper cloud resource provisioning and remote connectivity.
An RSA private key was generated using OpenSSL with AES-256 encryption to protect the key material.
The corresponding public key was extracted from the private key to support encrypted communication.
This establishes the foundation for SSL/TLS encryption.
Apache was configured within:
/etc/apache2/sites-available/default-ssl.conf
The configuration references the generated certificate and private key files to enable secure HTTPS communication.
SSL was enabled using:
a2enmod ssl
a2ensite default-ssl
This ensures encrypted web traffic.
The web server loads successfully over HTTPS, confirming SSL configuration is active and functioning.
HTTP access was disabled or redirected to HTTPS, preventing unencrypted communication.
This enforces transport layer security and protects data in transit.
A remote login attempt demonstrates credential-based authentication enforcement within the Azure environment.
This validates identity-based access control.
The Students Lockdown Policy was successfully linked to the Students Organizational Unit within Active Directory.
This confirms centralized policy enforcement at the directory level.
- Azure Virtual Machine Deployment
- SSL/TLS Encryption
- Public and Private Key Cryptography
- Apache Web Server Hardening
- HTTPS Enforcement
- Identity-Based Access Control
- Active Directory Organizational Units
- Group Policy Management