Overview:

Following the initial deployment of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS in VirtualBox, I optimized the VM by increasing its allocated resources and configuring the expanded storage. After performance tuning, I applied basic system hardening to both the Linux VM and the Windows 11 host to improve security, stability, and readiness for future testing or development work.

This project focused on enhancing virtual environment performance while reducing unnecessary service exposure and ensuring both systems followed baseline security practices.

Host System Specs (Post-Upgrade):

• Device: Acer Nitro 5 AN515-54-54W2

• OS: Windows 11 Home

• Memory: 32GB DDR4 RAM

• Storage: Dual 500GB Crucial P3 Plus Gen 4 NVMe SSDs

• Virtualization: VT-x enabled, running Oracle VM VirtualBox

Steps Performed:

1. Upgraded Linux VM Resources

• Powered off the Ubuntu VM and accessed VirtualBox settings.

• Increased hardware allocations:

• RAM: From 4GB ➜ 6GB

• CPU Cores: Remained at 2 cores

• Video Memory: Increased to 128MB

• Virtual Disk Size: Expanded from 35GB ➜ 60GB

• Used Windows Command Prompt to resize the .vdi file:
  VBoxManage modifyhd "UbuntuVM.vdi" --resize 61440

2. Configured Storage and Verified Resource Allocation

• Booted into Ubuntu and verified:

  free -h     # Confirmed 6GB RAM 

  lscpu       # Confirmed 2 CPU cores

  lsblk       # Checked disk expansion

• Installed required tools:

  sudo apt install cloud-guest-utils

• Used growpart and resize2fs to expand the root partition:

  sudo growpart /dev/sda 3

  sudo resize2fs /dev/sda3

• Confirmed full 60GB storage was available with:

  df -h

3. Hardened Linux VM

• Scanned for open ports:

  sudo ss -tuln

• Identified two open ports—closed unnecessary print service port by disabling cups:

  sudo systemctl stop cups

  sudo systemctl disable cups

• Applied system updates:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

• Cleaned up residual packages:

  sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt clean

4. Hardened Windows 11 Host

• Ran Windows Update to ensure latest patches installed.

• Performed full scan using Windows Security (Defender).

• Verified Windows Firewall was active across all profiles.

• Disabled unnecessary startup applications via Task Manager.

• Cleared temporary files using Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense.

Result:

• The Ubuntu VM was optimized for better performance, with increased RAM and storage fully configured.

• Unnecessary services and open ports were removed, improving security posture.

• The Windows 11 host was updated, cleaned, and secured.

• Both systems were left stable, responsive, and ready for future development, testing, or cybersecurity labs within a secure environment.