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EDWartens UK

Free course · Cybersecurity

ICS Security Foundations: Control Systems, Defence in Depth and the 62443 Requirements

The ground floor of industrial cyber security, taught through the systems themselves: what a DCS, PLC, SCADA, BACS and safety system actually do, the Purdue model, why OT is not IT, how industrial attacks unfold, defence in depth and a layered architecture, then the seven ISA/IEC 62443 foundational requirements one at a time, asset registers, segmentation, discovery, IDS and IPS, secure remote access, SIEM and endpoint protection.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
11
Video
9 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Name the control systems in a plant and say what each one runs, place any device on a Purdue level, explain why an IT security policy cannot be applied unchanged to OT, describe how an industrial attack unfolds and what it costs, build a layered defence, apply each of the seven ISA/IEC 62443 foundational requirements to a real asset, keep an asset register, segment a network, discover devices safely, and choose between IDS, IPS, secure remote access, SIEM and endpoint controls.

  • Tell a DCS, PLC, SCADA, BACS and safety system apart
  • Place any device on a Purdue level and defend the choice
  • Explain why an IT security policy cannot be applied to a plant
  • Build a layered defence and pick compensating controls
  • Apply the seven ISA/IEC 62443 foundational requirements
  • Keep an asset register, segment a network and discover devices safely

Software

None required. Everything is taught with diagrams and worked examples.

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

11 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1The Systems You Are Protecting: DCS, PLC and SCADA3 lessons
  2. 2Building Automation, Safety Systems and the IIoT3 lessons
  3. 3The Purdue Model and Why OT Is Not IT4 lessonsLab
  4. 4What Goes Wrong: Attacks, Consequences and What to Secure3 lessons
  5. 5Defence in Depth and a Layered Architecture2 lessonsLab
  6. 6Foundational Requirements 1 and 2: Who You Are and What You May Do2 lessons
  7. 7Foundational Requirements 3, 4 and 5: Integrity, Confidentiality and Data Flow3 lessonsLab
  8. 8Foundational Requirements 6 and 7: Responding and Staying Up2 lessonsLab
  9. 9Knowing What You Have: Asset Management, Segmentation and Discovery3 lessons
  10. 10Detection, Remote Access, SIEM and Endpoints5 lessonsLab
  11. 11Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Map a plant network, find the odd device and set deny-by-default firewall rules in the Lab's OT security simulator.

Works alongside ICS Security Foundations: Control Systems, Defence in Depth and the 62443 Requirements. The Lab is ot security practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
OT security: Defend a plant network.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for ICS Security Foundations: Control Systems, Defence in Depth and the 62443 Requirements

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Is this the same as the ISA/IEC 62443 course?
No, and it is the one to take first. This course teaches the systems and the seven foundational requirements from the ground up. The 62443 course goes on to security levels, risk assessment, governance and certification preparation.
Do I need a security background?
None. It starts from what a PLC is.
Do I need any software or hardware?
Neither. Every module is diagrams and worked examples you can follow on paper.
Does it prepare me for a certification?
It is the groundwork rather than exam preparation. Take the ISA/IEC 62443 course after this one for the certification material.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 9 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the eleven modules at your own speed.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment is free. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked; the certificate is optional.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not an ISA, IEC or vendor credential, and EDWartens is not affiliated with those bodies.
Who made the video lessons?
Instrumentation Tools, on its own YouTube channel, as credited at the foot of this page. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creator is not affiliated with EDWartens; what EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module