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Mike Holcomb has released 200+ FREE review questions to help learners master Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity. These questions complement his FREE 25+ hour YouTube course, structured into 11 sections:
1. Course
2. ICS/OT Cyber Security Overview
3. Main Types of Control Systems & Protocols
4. Secure Network Architecture
5. Asset Registers and Control Systems Inventory
6. Threat & Vulnerability Management
7. OSINT for Industrial Controls
8. Incident Detection
9. Incident Response
10. Risk Assessments, Governance, and Compliance
11. to ICS/OT Penetration Testing
🔗 Course Link: Getting Started in ICS/OT Cyber Security (YouTube)
You Should Know:
1. Essential ICS/OT Security Commands & Tools
Network Security & Asset Discovery
Nmap scan for ICS devices (avoid aggressive scans on OT networks!) nmap -sT --min-rate 1000 -p 502,44818,1911 -oA ICS_Scan <target_IP> Shodan search for exposed ICS systems shodan search "port:502 Siemens" Metasploit module for Modbus enumeration use auxiliary/scanner/scada/modbusdetect
Vulnerability Assessment
Using OpenVAS for ICS vulnerability scanning openvas-start gvm-cli --gmp-username admin --gmp-password <password> xml "<get_tasks/>" Nikto for web-based ICS interfaces nikto -h http://<PLC_IP> -Tuning 7
Incident Response in OT Environments
Windows command to check for suspicious processes (critical for OT systems)
Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.CPU -gt 90 } | Format-Table -AutoSize
Log analysis for ICS breaches (SIEM queries)
grep -i "unauthorized access" /var/log/syslog
Secure ICS Protocols
Using Wireshark to analyze Modbus/TCP traffic tshark -i eth0 -Y "modbus" -V Hardening Profinet devices (Linux) iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 34964 -j DROP
What Undercode Say:
ICS/OT cybersecurity is critical because breaches can lead to physical damage (e.g., power grid failures, pipeline explosions). Unlike IT, OT systems prioritize Availability > Confidentiality. Key takeaways:
✅ Always segment OT networks (DMZ, VLANs, firewalls).
✅ Monitor for abnormal traffic (e.g., unexpected Modbus commands).
✅ Use passive discovery tools (e.g., GRASSMARLIN) to avoid disrupting ICS operations.
✅ Patch management must be tested offline before deployment.
🔗 Free ICS Security Tools:
Prediction:
As OT/ICS systems become more connected to IT networks, AI-driven attacks (e.g., adversarial machine learning against PLCs) will rise. Companies must invest in behavioral anomaly detection rather than just signature-based defenses.
Expected Output:
Example: Detecting unauthorized SCADA access zeek -r ICS_Traffic.pcap -C | grep "Modbus Function Code: 5"
Windows command to check for rogue ICS services
Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "SCADA" }
IT/Security Reporter URL:
Reported By: Mikeholcomb 200 – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
