Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Cybersecurity Training Course

Course overview

Industrial control systems run the physical world: power plants, water treatment, factories, and pipelines. They were built for reliability and long life, not for a connected, hostile environment, and as they link to corporate networks they become targets where a cyber attack can cause physical harm. This course explains how these systems are attacked and how they are defended.

The focus is on the specific nature of ICS and SCADA security, the vulnerabilities and threats they face, how their networks are protected, and the incident response and resilience that limit damage. It treats control-system security as a discipline distinct from IT security, governed by the reality that availability and safety come first.

Why ICS cybersecurity matters

An attack on an industrial control system is not just a data breach; it can stop production, damage equipment, or endanger lives. Yet many control systems run old software, cannot be patched easily, and were never designed to be exposed to a network, which leaves them dangerously vulnerable as connectivity increases.

Securing them is harder than securing IT, because you cannot simply take a running plant offline to apply a fix, and a security measure that disrupts production is its own kind of failure. Understanding how to protect these systems within those constraints is what this course develops.

What you will be able to do afterwards

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Explain how ICS and SCADA security differs from IT security.
• Describe the vulnerabilities and threats facing control systems.
• Apply approaches to securing ICS and SCADA networks.
• Outline incident response and compliance for control systems.
• Build long-term resilience into industrial environments.

Course outline

Unit 1: Introduction to ICS and SCADA cybersecurity

The course opens with what makes control-system security distinct.

• What ICS, SCADA, PLCs, and DCS are.
• Why availability and safety come before confidentiality.
• The OT and IT divide and its convergence.
• Documented industrial cyber incidents.

Unit 2: ICS vulnerabilities and threat landscape

This unit covers what control systems are exposed to.

• Legacy systems and the patching problem.
• Common vulnerabilities in control environments.
• Threat actors and their methods.
• How attacks reach control systems.

Unit 3: Securing ICS and SCADA networks

This unit covers the defenses.

• Network segmentation and the Purdue model.
• The IEC 62443 approach as a reference framework.
• Access control and secure remote access, alongside Cybersecurity and Physical Security Integration.
• Monitoring control-system networks.

Unit 4: Incident response and compliance

This unit covers responding and meeting obligations.

• Incident response for control systems.
• Containing an attack without stopping operations.
• Regulatory and compliance requirements as reference.
• Recovery and lessons learned.

Unit 5: Building long-term ICS resilience

The final unit takes the resilience view.

• Security by design in new systems.
• Managing risk across the asset life.
• Building OT security capability and culture.
• Sustaining protection as threats evolve.

How the course is delivered

The course is led through structured explanation, worked examples, and documented industrial cyber case studies. Participants examine network architectures, vulnerabilities, and response approaches and discuss the trade-offs behind them. The course is educational and vendor-neutral; it does not provide certification or endorse any product.

Who should attend

This course suits OT and control-system engineers, IT security staff moving into industrial environments, plant and operations managers, and security and risk professionals in industrial sectors. It is useful both to newcomers to control-system security and to IT security staff who need to understand the operational constraints. A basic technical grounding helps.

About EuroQuest International Training

EuroQuest International Training was founded in 2015 by a team with more than 25 years of combined experience in professional training. The institute has delivered over 1,000 courses to more than 15,000 participants, and is headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, with training hubs in Dubai, London, Barcelona, Istanbul, Vienna, Paris, and Geneva. Courses are designed and reviewed by practitioners and updated to reflect current practice in each field.

Frequently asked questions

How is ICS security different from IT security?

In control systems, availability and safety come first, systems are often old and hard to patch, and a security measure that disrupts operations is itself a failure. The course is built around these differences rather than treating ICS like ordinary IT.

Do I need a control-systems background?

A basic technical grounding helps, but the course explains ICS, SCADA, and their security from the fundamentals. It suits IT security staff entering industrial environments as well as OT engineers.

Is the course tied to a specific vendor?

No. It is vendor-neutral and references frameworks such as IEC 62443 as subject matter. It does not endorse a particular product or imply a commercial relationship.

Related courses

• Cybersecurity in Industrial Control Systems
• Critical Infrastructure Protection Strategies
• Advanced Network Security and Threat Prevention
• IoT Security and Emerging Technology Risks

Register for this course

To reserve a place or ask about scheduling and city options for the Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Cybersecurity course, use the registration and enquiry options on this page and the EuroQuest team will follow up with the details you need.