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ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth

ICS612Industrial Control Systems Security
  • 5 Days (Instructor-Led)
  • 30 Hours (Self-Paced)
Course created by:
Tim ConwayJason DelyChristopher RobinsonJeffrey Shearer
Tim Conway, Jason Dely, Christopher Robinson & Jeffrey Shearer
ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth
Course created by:
Tim ConwayJason DelyChristopher RobinsonJeffrey Shearer
Tim Conway, Jason Dely, Christopher Robinson & Jeffrey Shearer
  • 30 CPEs

    Apply your credits to renew your certifications

  • In-Person or Virtual

    Attend a live, instructor-led class from a location near you or virtually from anywhere

  • Advanced Skill Level

    Course material is geared for cyber security professionals with hands-on experience

  • 25 Hands-On Lab(s)

    Apply what you learn with hands-on exercises and labs

Develop comprehensive defenses in industrial control systems, and master methodologies through hands-on exercises in a simulated operational technology environment with real-world components.

Course Overview

Securing Operational Technology (OT) vs. IT environments requires a different perspective and approach. Each OT system is uniquely engineered to an organization's operational needs, so how should we go about securing these systems?

Through our immersive operations environment, ICS612 will take you from theory to practice over this five-day ICS security training course. You will learn to identify operational vulnerabilities and build defenses in the roles of engineering, operations, and red and blue teams. You will navigate from PLC and HMI operations to the complexities of advanced IT and OT security architecture and monitoring, understanding how threat actors attack operations through ICS systems and personnel. You will reinforce these skills in hands-on lab exercises and conclude with an incident response scenario investigating and recovering classroom operations.

Emerge with a thorough understanding of how to analyze an unknown system to secure and maintain operational resilience.

What You'll Learn

  • Learn active and passive methods to safely gather information about an ICS environment
  • Identify vulnerabilities in ICS environments
  • Determine how attackers can maliciously interrupt and control processes and how to build defenses
  • Implement proactive measures to prevent, detect, slow down, or stop attacks
  • Understand ICS operations and what "normal" looks like
  • Build choke points into an architecture and determine how they can be used to detect and respond to security incidents
  • Manage complex ICS environments and develop the capability to detect and respond to ICS security events

Business Takeaways

  • Enhance operational resilience in critical infrastructure
  • Reduce risk of costly production outages
  • Protect intellectual property and operational data
  • Meet regulatory compliance requirements
  • Improve threat detection capabilities
  • Build security into system architecture
  • Develop incident response capabilities for OT incidents

Course Syllabus

Explore the course syllabus below to view the full range of topics covered in ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth.

Section 1The Local Process

This section aligns students to the baseline fundamentals of industrial control systems, focusing on local process control components, such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs).

Topics covered

  • Purdue model and ICS architecture
  • Communication flow mapping
  • Level 0-2 components
  • Protocol analysis of operations data
  • Embedded device security essentials

Labs

  • PLC and HMI platform setup
  • PLC programming and troubleshooting
  • Service discovery on controllers
  • OT protocol analysis with Wireshark
  • PLC/HMI communication analysis

Section 2System of Systems

This section explores how multiple control systems interact in a larger industrial environment and the security implications. Students will understand peer-to-peer communications in ICS, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and Open Platform Communications (OPC).

Topics covered

  • Level 3 system components
  • PLC peer-to-peer communications
  • SCADA/OPC communications
  • IT service dependencies in OT
  • Defense techniques for Level 3

Labs

  • Zone/Cell/Area network connections
  • SCADA system configuration
  • OPC security configuration
  • Securing traditional IT services
  • Defending against Level 3 attacks

Section 3ICS Network Infrastructure

This section focuses on designing and implementing secure network architecture for industrial control systems. Students will understand and practice the deployment of common IT network technology in ICS.

Topics covered

  • Connected process security
  • Secure plant design principles
  • Industrial network segmentation
  • Trusted communications flows
  • Remote access and historian security

Labs

  • Network segmentation implementation
  • Firewall configuration for ICS
  • Data diode implementation
  • Historian system hardening
  • Jump host and 2FA implementation

Section 4ICS System Management

This section addresses the ongoing management and monitoring of industrial control systems to maintain security. Students will understand and practice ICS system monitoring and logging, asset management, and asset validation.

Topics covered

  • ICS environment logging strategies
  • Monitoring and alerting best practices
  • Serial network security monitoring
  • System integrity verification
  • Asset management for OT systems

Labs

  • Log aggregation configuration
  • Event monitoring tuning
  • Asset management implementation
  • System integrity verification
  • Change management procedures

Section 5Covfefe Down!

This final section tests students' skills through a NetWars-style comprehensive incident response scenario in the classroom ICS environment.

Topics covered

  • OT environment attack patterns
  • Protocol-level manipulation techniques
  • Firmware security considerations
  • Industrial wireless security
  • Time synchronization security

Labs

  • ICS NetWars-style challenge
  • Four levels of questions
  • Local process and share process
  • Head end process environment
  • Environment manipulation

Things You Need To Know

Relevant Job Roles

Threat Hunter

Digital Forensics and Incident Response

This expert applies new threat intelligence against existing evidence to identify attackers that have slipped through real-time detection mechanisms. The practice of threat hunting requires several skill sets, including threat intelligence, system and network forensics, and investigative development processes. This role transitions incident response from a purely reactive investigative process to a proactive one, uncovering adversaries or their footprints based on developing intelligence.

Explore learning path

Process Control Engineering

Industrial Control Systems

Tests, programs, troubleshoots, and oversees changes of existing processes or implements new engineering processes through the deployment and operations of engineering systems and automation devices.

Explore learning path

ICS Security Architect

Industrial Control Systems

Ensures control system network security compliance and best practises for control networks.

Explore learning path

ICS Security Incident Responder

Industrial Control Systems

Executes specific industrial incident response for incidents that threaten or impact control system networks and assets, while maintaining the safety and reliability of operations.

Explore learning path

ICS Security Analyst

Industrial Control Systems

Acquires and manages resources, supports, and performs key industrial security protection while adhering to safety and engineering goals.

Explore learning path

Course Schedule & Pricing

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  • Location & instructor

    Canberra, ACT, AU & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Michael Hoffman
    Date & Time
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    Course price
    A$14,045 AUD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
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  • Location & instructor

    London, GB & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Michael Hoffman
    Date & Time
    Fetching schedule..View event details
    Course price
    £7,505 GBP*Prices exclude applicable taxes | EUR price available during checkout
    Enrollment options
  • Location & instructor

    Washington, DC, US & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Jason Dely
    Date & Time
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    Course price
    $9,230 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
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  • Location & instructor

    Singapore, SG & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Michael Hoffman
    Date & Time
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    Course price
    $9,365 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
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  • Location & instructor

    Amsterdam, NL & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Jason Dely
    Date & Time
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    Course price
    €8,630 EUR*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
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  • Location & instructor

    Las Vegas, NV, US & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Jason Dely
    Date & Time
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    Course price
    $9,230 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
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  • Location & instructor

    Houston, TX, US & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Jason Dely
    Date & Time
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    Course price
    $9,230 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
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  • Location & instructor

    Khobar, SA & Virtual (live)

    Instructed by Michael Hoffman
    Date & Time
    Fetching schedule..View event details
    Course price
    $9,365 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
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