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695.613.8VL - Securing Industrial Control Systems

Cybersecurity

Fall 2024

Description

This course resides where Information Technology (IT) meets Operational Technology (OT) and introduces the practice of cybersecurity related to Industrial Control Systems (ICSs), their components, and the Purdue Model for ICS network organization. Industrial or OT environments were originally designed to be operated on and tended to with onsite (physical) configuration and support. As the industry evolves and requests for additional connectivity and remote functionality increase, these systems have become more connected and more vulnerable to both physical and remote threats. Students will be introduced to a variety of topics including process variable telemetry (sensors, actuators, controllers), control loops, DCS/SCADA/PLCs, HMIs, data historians, safety systems, and so on. ICSs are meant to provide stability during steady-state operations and respond appropriately to non-steady-state conditions - imagine if employees couldn’t trust the data they see, or the autonomous control was overridden or defeated. Through lectures, real-world cyber-attack case studies, hands-on exercises, and independent research opportunities students will be given the resources to identify and understand ICS vulnerabilities, and best secure ICS environments.

Instructor

Miriam Lorbert

mlorber1@jhu.edu

Course Topics

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Explain industrial control systems and theories behind corresponding threats and vulnerabilities
Understand and recognize potential adversaries, threats, and vulnerabilities
Correlate theoretical principles to current events and news
Perform a deep-dive analysis into a specific cyber event or vulnerability

Course Goals

To provide a comprehensive understanding of operational security relating to industrial control system environments. To identify and describe industrial environments and their underlying devices/architectures and then apply that knowledge to explore real-world threats and vulnerabilities to industrial cybersecurity.

Textbooks

All resources are available through the JHU Online Library.

Knapp, E. D., & Langill, J. T. (2015). Industrial Network Security (second edition). Syngress.

ISBN: 9780124201842

ACKERMAN, P. (2021). Industrial Cybersecurity - Efficiently monitor the Cybersecurity Posture Of Your Ics Environment. PACKT PUBLISHING LIMITED.

ISBN: 9781800202092

Bodungen, C. E., Singer, B. L., Shbeeb, A., Hilt, S., & Wilhoit, K. (2017). Hacking exposed industrial control systems: Ics and Scada Security Secrets & Solutions. McGraw-Hill Education.

ISBN: 9781259589720

Textbook information for this course is available online through the appropriate bookstore website: For online courses, search the MBS website.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically.

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity.

If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.