Active Directory
Windows Server 2025 domain services, users, computers, DNS, authentication and Group Policy.
IT Infrastructure • Homelab • Cybersecurity
Building, breaking and securing real-world IT infrastructure.
I’m Mark Gray. This site documents my hands-on journey through Windows Server, Active Directory, networking, Linux, Microsoft 365, automation and cybersecurity.
Windows Server
Active Directory & Group Policy
Networking
OPNsense, DNS & segmented labs
Security
Reconnaissance, monitoring & analysis
What this site is about
Practical learning, documented properly.
My homelab is where I develop practical infrastructure and security skills by building systems, troubleshooting faults, testing controls and documenting what I learn.
Rather than simply listing technologies, this portfolio focuses on the work behind them: the problems I encountered, the decisions I made and the results I achieved.
Homelab
A working environment for infrastructure and security.
My lab combines Windows, Linux, network segmentation, virtualization and cloud services so I can practise realistic administration, troubleshooting and security scenarios.
Network Security
Segmented networks, OPNsense firewalling, routing, DNS control and attacker/target lab zones.
Linux & Virtualization
Debian-based workstation, KVM/libvirt virtual machines, Linux services and command-line tooling.
Microsoft 365
Entra ID, Microsoft 365 administration and hybrid identity work connecting on-premises AD to the cloud.
Lab Architecture
Current Homelab Architecture
A segmented homelab combining on-premises infrastructure, authorised security testing, monitoring, and Microsoft 365 / Entra integration.
Featured Projects
Projects that show the work, not just the tools.
Microsoft 365 Hybrid Identity Lab
Connecting an on-premises Windows Server Active Directory environment to Microsoft 365 using Entra Connect, while troubleshooting identity, UPN and synchronization issues.
Windows Server 2025
Entra ID
Microsoft 365
PowerShell
View project →
Active Directory Security Lab
A segmented attacker and production environment used for authorised reconnaissance, service enumeration and defensive analysis against a Windows domain controller.
Nmap
SMB
LDAP
Kerberos
View project →
AI-Assisted Homelab Analysis
A Python-based evidence analysis workflow using the OpenAI API to correlate Nmap, LDAP, DNS and SMB evidence and produce structured technical reports.
Python
OpenAI API
Git
Evidence Analysis
View project →
Cybersecurity Journey
Learning security from both sides of the network.
My focus is on understanding how systems are attacked, how those attacks appear in logs and network traffic, and how infrastructure can be configured to reduce risk.
Foundation
Networking and system administration
Built practical knowledge of addressing, DNS, routing, Windows administration and Linux fundamentals.
Build
Enterprise-style homelab
Created segmented networks, Windows Server infrastructure, client systems, Linux hosts and firewall controls.
Test
Authorised security exercises
Practised reconnaissance and enumeration using tools such as Nmap, Kerbrute, smbclient and ldapsearch.
Defend
Monitoring and evidence analysis
Investigated logs, firewall events and network traffic to understand how suspicious activity is detected.
Hands-on Cybersecurity Training
TryHackMe
My TryHackMe page brings together my public training profile, practical learning activity and achieved certifications, including the Pre Security (SEC0) certification.
Skills
Technologies I am actively using and developing.
Infrastructure
- Windows Server 2025
- Active Directory Domain Services
- Group Policy
- DNS & DHCP fundamentals
- Microsoft 365 & Entra ID
Networking
- TCP/IP & subnetting
- OPNsense
- Network segmentation
- Routing & firewall rules
- Wireshark & tcpdump
Cybersecurity
- Nmap
- SMB / LDAP / Kerberos enumeration
- Metasploit lab exercises
- Security logging
- Evidence-based analysis
Linux & Automation
- Debian Linux
- Bash / CLI workflows
- Python
- Git
- REST APIs & OpenAI API
About Me
Turning hands-on learning into professional IT capability.
This portfolio will continue to grow as I complete new lab projects, security exercises, Microsoft 365 work and technical write-ups.