Hands-On OT/ICS Cybersecurity: Free Projects to Build Your Skills

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Getting started in Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) cybersecurity doesn’t require expensive hardware or access to a power plant. Below are free, hands-on projects to help you gain practical experience in attacking and defending OT/ICS environments.

  1. Setup Your Own “Attack & Defend” OT/ICS Lab with Labshock
    Labshock is a virtual OT environment for practicing offensive and defensive techniques.
    🔗 Labshock Project

You Should Know:

  • Use VirtualBox or VMware to deploy the Labshock environment.
  • Practice network segmentation and firewall rules to secure OT networks.
  • Simulate attacks like PLC manipulation and protocol exploitation.

Commands to Get Started:

 Install VirtualBox on Linux 
sudo apt update && sudo apt install virtualbox -y

Download Labshock OVA file and import 
wget [bash] 
virtualbox --startvm Labshock.ova
  1. Hack Into a Power Plant with GRFICSv2
    GRFICSv2 simulates a power plant with a CCTV feed to monitor attacks.
    🔗 GRFICSv2 Project

You Should Know:

  • Exploit Modbus/TCP vulnerabilities.
  • Use Wireshark to capture and analyze OT traffic.
  • Test denial-of-service (DoS) attacks on ICS protocols.

Commands for Traffic Analysis:

 Install Wireshark 
sudo apt install wireshark

Capture Modbus traffic 
sudo tshark -i eth0 -Y "modbus" -w modbus_traffic.pcap

3. Setup an OT/ICS Honeypot

Honeypots mimic real OT systems to attract attackers.

🔗 Conpot (ICS Honeypot) – GitHub
🔗 T-Mobile’s OT Honeypot – Project Link

You Should Know:

  • Deploy Conpot to simulate Modbus, Siemens S7, and HTTP-based ICS devices.
  • Monitor attacks with Kibana or ELK Stack.

Steps to Deploy Conpot:

git clone https://github.com/mushorg/conpot.git 
cd conpot 
pip install -r requirements.txt 
python conpot/bin/conpot --template default

4. Analyze Real-World OT/ICS Cyber Incidents

Study Stuxnet, Triton, Colonial Pipeline, and Fuxnet to understand attack patterns.

You Should Know:

  • Use MITRE ATT&CK for ICS framework.
  • Extract Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) from reports.

Linux Commands for Threat Intel:

 Download ICS threat reports 
wget https://dragos.com/reports/ICS_Threat_Report_2024.pdf

Search for IOCs in logs 
grep -r "malicious_ip" /var/log/

5. Find Exposed OT/ICS Assets Using Shodan

Discover internet-connected PLCs, RTUs, and SCADA systems.

🔗 Shodan Search for Modbus

You Should Know:

  • Use Shodan CLI for automated scanning.
  • Report vulnerabilities responsibly.

Shodan CLI Commands:

pip install shodan 
shodan init YOUR_API_KEY 
shodan search --limit 100 "port:502 modbus"
  1. Write a Modbus Scanner in Python (or ChatGPT-Assisted)

Automate Modbus protocol scanning with Python.

🔗 Hacking ICS/OT with ChatGPT

You Should Know:

  • Use pymodbus library for protocol interaction.
  • Detect unauthorized Modbus commands.

Python Script Example:

from pymodbus.client import ModbusTcpClient

client = ModbusTcpClient('192.168.1.100') 
if client.connect(): 
print("Modbus device found!") 
client.close()

What Undercode Say

OT/ICS security is critical for infrastructure protection. These projects help you simulate attacks, analyze incidents, and build defensive skills without physical hardware.

Expected Output:

✅ Labshock deployed for attack/defense practice.

✅ GRFICSv2 power plant hacked (virtually).

✅ Conpot honeypot logging attacker activities.

✅ Modbus scanner script detecting vulnerable devices.

Prediction

As OT/ICS systems become more connected, AI-driven attacks (like ChatGPT-assisted exploits) will rise. Professionals must master defensive automation to counter these threats.

🔗 Further Learning:

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Dharamveer Prasad – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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