Goal: play the role of the IT lead for a small organization (real or imaginary) and set up, step by step, a healthy, secure and documented information system.
Materials: keep the IT & Systems cheat-sheet below (hardware, network, accounts, cloud, security, operations) at hand.
Method: one step per level. You lay the foundations, equip and troubleshoot the workstations, put them on a network, administer the accounts, move to the cloud, then secure everything, prepare recovery and document it all.
Describe the organization and its IT needs. Inventory the workstations, servers and peripherals, and identify the operating systems present. Fix the basic vocabulary.
Prepare a standard workstation (installation, drivers, updates, licensed software). Define a troubleshooting method and a clear support (ticketing) procedure for users.
Diagram the network (IP, mask, gateway, DNS/DHCP, modem, switch, router, Wi-Fi). Plan file and printer shares with controlled access, and a network troubleshooting method.
Define accounts and rights by least privilege. Describe how to centralize (directory/domain, GPOs), automate one simple task in PowerShell, and set up a tested 3-2-1 backup.
Decide what belongs in the cloud (SaaS/PaaS/IaaS). Organize Microsoft 365 administration (accounts, licences, OneDrive/SharePoint/Teams), enforce MFA, and consider virtualization if useful.
Apply the security fundamentals (updates, firewall, antivirus, hardening, MFA, disconnected backups). Draft a recovery plan (RPO/RTO), structure asset management, and DOCUMENT the whole thing.