Cyber Security in Industrial Control & Manufacturing – Digital Classroom

In Manufacturing, as in many other industries, there is a growing use of automation technology to increase the efficiencies and quality of production output. This digital transformation of industrial processes (often called Industry 4.0) comes with its own unique security challenges.

This online course outlines best-practice strategies to securing both your office (“IT”) environment, as well as the operational technology (“OT”) that keeps the systems on your shop floor running.

The “computerised equipment” in OT environments are programmed to perform multiple tasks with the highest levels of precision, live on your network, and are often remotely supported by the vendor.

Unfortunately, those embedded computers are increasingly coming under attack from threat actors across the globe, potentially damaging your systems, your product, or grinding your shop floor to a halt.

It is important that these OT devices are managed with a great deal more care than standard office IT equipment. They cannot simply be “patched” in the same way as your Windows laptop, or have antivirus software installed on them.

This 2-hour online session builds on our “Cyber Essentials” course and spends the first half delving into the important steps needed to secure the people, data and IT equipment in a small-to-medium sized business.

In the second half of the session, the course explores the main components found in an automated production network (PLCs/controllers, sensors, terminals/HMIs) before discussing how those Industrial Control Systems (ICS) can be secured against attack.

If your manufacturing environment doesn’t contain computerised equipment, then the “Cyber Security for Supervisors & Managers” course may be more suitable for you.