Before diving into samples, you’ll build a safe playground. This opening module first clarifies what malware analysis is and how analysts balance static and dynamic techniques. Then you create the tools and perimeter you’ll rely on for the rest of the course: a Windows guest hardened with Flare-VM and INetSim. By the end, you have a throw-away, isolated environment where malicious binaries can run freely while their every move is recorded, your essential springboard for all future labs.