Introduction

Preparing for a DevSecOps certification often raises questions about whether you should use the provided Cloud Labs or set up your own local environment.

The Cloud Labs are the recommended and fully supported environment for the course. They already contain the required tools, configurations, and vulnerable applications, allowing you to focus on learning DevSecOps tactics and techniques rather than spending time configuring infrastructure.

If you would like to experiment with the tools on your own machine, you are welcome to do so. However, local environments are not officially supported because every system is different, and troubleshooting local setup issues is outside the scope of course support.

1. Using the Cloud Labs

Why use the Cloud Labs?

The Cloud Labs are pre-configured with everything you need to complete the course exercises, including:

• Ubuntu operating system

• Required DevSecOps tools

• Pre-configured environments

• Vulnerable applications and images used throughout the course

Because everything is already configured, you can concentrate on learning the tactics, techniques, and workflows rather than installing and troubleshooting software.

For the best learning experience, we recommend completing all course exercises in the provided Cloud Labs.

2. Trying the Tools on Your Own Machine

Can I practice locally?

Yes. You're welcome to install and experiment with the same tools on your own computer if you would like additional hands-on practice.

While this can be a great way to deepen your understanding, your local environment is your own responsibility to configure and maintain.

Our recommendation

If you want to build a local practice environment, we recommend keeping it as simple as possible:

1. Install a virtualization platform such as VirtualBox.

2. Create an Ubuntu virtual machine.

3. Install the same tools used throughout the course.

4. Practice using those tools in your own test environment.

This approach provides a reasonably similar experience while giving you the flexibility to explore the tools outside of the Cloud Labs.

3. Why Local Setups Are Not Officially Supported

Although many learners successfully build local environments, we do not officially support local installations.

This is not because we don't want to support them. Rather, there are simply too many variables that are beyond our control, including:

• Different operating systems

• Different Linux distributions

• Hardware differences

• Virtualization platforms

• Networking configurations

• Package versions

• Existing software conflicts

Because every local environment is unique, it is not practical for our support team to troubleshoot every possible configuration.

If you encounter issues with your own setup, we recommend referring to the documentation for the operating system, virtualization platform, or tools you are using.

4. Using the hysnsec Images

The hysnsec Docker images are our custom images built specifically for this course. They include the tools, configurations, and vulnerable applications used throughout the training, helping provide a consistent learning experience.

The Cloud Labs already use these images where appropriate, so there is no need to download or configure them when working through the course exercises.

If you choose to practice locally, you may use:

• Our custom hysnsec Docker images (recommended for the closest match to the course environment).

• Your own Docker images or virtual machines containing equivalent tools and vulnerable applications.

Using our custom images can help minimize differences between your local environment and the Cloud Labs, but they are not mandatory unless a course exercise specifically requires them.

Frequently Asked Questions

QuestionAnswerShould I recreate the Cloud Labs on my own computer?No. The Cloud Labs are already configured and are the recommended environment for completing the course.Can I install the tools locally?Yes. You're welcome to install and experiment with the tools on your own machine for additional practice.Will support help me troubleshoot my local installation?No. Local environments are not officially supported because there are too many variables outside our control.What local setup do you recommend?A VirtualBox virtual machine running Ubuntu with the same tools used throughout the course.Do I have to use the hysnsec images?No. They are our custom course images and are recommended for consistency, but they are not required unless a course exercise specifically instructs you to use them.

Conclusion

The Cloud Labs are the recommended and supported environment for the course because they already contain everything needed for the exercises. This allows you to spend your time learning DevSecOps tactics and techniques instead of configuring infrastructure.

If you'd like additional hands-on practice, you're welcome to install the tools locally. We recommend using a virtual machine such as VirtualBox running Ubuntu and installing the same tools used throughout the course.

While we're happy for learners to explore local environments, we cannot provide support for local installation issues due to the wide variety of operating systems, hardware, networking configurations, and software versions that are beyond our control.