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Free course · Cybersecurity

IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Exam Prep

Preparation for ISA's ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Specialist exam, mapped to the topics ISA lists for its IC32 course: the 62443 series and roles, zones and conduits, FR1 to FR7, security levels, risk assessment, secure products. Free to learn; not the ISA certificate.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
15
Video
21 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain why control systems need security and how their priorities differ from office IT; describe the four groups of the ISA/IEC 62443 series, its main parts and the roles of asset owner, product supplier and service provider; place a system on the reference model and its lifecycle; partition it into zones and conduits; apply the seven foundational requirements and security level vectors (SL-T, SL-C, SL-A); outline an asset owner programme and its maturity levels; follow the 3-2 risk assessment workflow; recognise industrial protocols and their weaknesses; plan patching and vendor remote access; describe secure product development (4-1) and component requirements (4-2); and sit ISA's fundamentals exam with a study plan.

  • Map your study to the fifteen topics ISA lists for its IC32 fundamentals course
  • Place every 62443 part in its group and match it to the asset owner, service provider or product supplier
  • Partition a plant into zones and conduits using the reference model and defence in depth
  • Apply FR1 to FR7 and compare SL-T, SL-C and SL-A vectors to find gaps
  • Run the 62443-3-2 risk assessment workflow on a 5 by 5 matrix
  • Plan patching, vendor remote access and secure product purchases with 2-3, 2-4, 4-1 and 4-2

Software

None required. A browser for the free ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance, CISA and NIST SP 800-82 resources, and a spreadsheet for the risk register exercises. The standards themselves are sold by ISA and IEC and are not needed.

Hardware

None.

Syllabus

15 modules

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

  1. 1The Fundamentals Specialist certificate and why control systems need security5 lessons
  2. 2The ISA/IEC 62443 series: four groups, the main parts and how they link3 lessons
  3. 3Roles, key definitions and the reference model5 lessonsLab
  4. 4The IACS lifecycle and the security lifecycles2 lessons
  5. 5Zones, conduits and defence in depth4 lessonsLab
  6. 6The seven foundational requirements2 lessons
  7. 7Security levels: SL 0 to 4, target, capability and achieved3 lessonsLab
  8. 8The asset owner security programme (62443-2-1) and maturity levels3 lessons
  9. 9Risk assessment for system design (62443-3-2)3 lessonsLab
  10. 10G6210: Network security basics and industrial protocols3 lessons
  11. 11G6211: Patch management, service providers and remote access (62443-2-3 and 2-4)2 lessonsLab
  12. 12G6212: Secure products: development lifecycle (4-1), component requirements (4-2) and ISASecure2 lessons
  13. 13G6213: The protection scheme (2-2), security profiles and evolving regulations2 lessons
  14. 14G6214: Exam review: the fundamentals body of knowledge and how to prepare1 lesson
  15. 15G6215: Final 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 IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Exam Prep. 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 IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Exam Prep

Credits

Who made the lessons

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

  • ICSBit Labs

    the IEC 62443 Basics series (relevance, structure, roles, definitions, Purdue model, lifecycle, zones and conduits, the seven FRs, security levels, defence in depth, CSMS and maturity levels, protection scheme, risk assessment) and the webinar on 4-1 and 4-2

  • International Society of Automation - ISA

    the ISAGCA webinars on security lifecycles and on risk assessment with 62443-3-2, and the ISASecure overview

  • exida

    the webinars on lessons from 62443-2-1 assessments and on applying 62443-2-4 for service providers

  • Plainly Explained

    the overview of the IEC 62443 standards

  • SANS ICS Security

    the talk on whether and how to patch OT systems

  • Waterfall Security Solutions

    the podcast episode on risk-based security levels and 62443-3-3

  • CEN and CENELEC

    the webinar on EN IEC 62443 and the EU Cyber Resilience Act

  • Bureau Veritas

    the short introduction to IEC 62443

  • Eaton

    the explainer on industrial communication protocols

  • Simone's CyberSecurity

    the lesson on IT and OT networks, the Purdue model and the OSI layers

  • OPSWAT

    the explainer on data diodes and one-way transfer

  • SCADA & Beyond with Alana

    the comparison of Modbus, DNP3 and IEC 60870 for SCADA

  • Mike Holcomb

    the ISA/IEC 62443 Made Simple review lesson

Questions

About this course

Is this the ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Specialist certificate?
No. This is free, independent preparation for ISA's Cybersecurity Fundamentals Specialist exam. ISA awards that certificate only after its own IC32 course and exam, which you register for and pay for with ISA; the IC32 registration includes the exam fee. EDWartens is not affiliated with ISA or IEC and is not an ISA training partner, and the EDWartens certificate is a verifiable certificate of completion for this course.
What is the ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Specialist?
It is Certificate 1 of ISA's ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Certificate Program, earned by completing ISA's IC32 course and passing its exam. ISA requires it before the Risk Assessment (IC33), Design (IC34) and Maintenance (IC37) Specialist certificates, awards the Cybersecurity Expert certificate automatically when all four are held, and states that the certificates do not need renewing (isa.org, checked 11 October 2026).
What does the fundamentals exam cover, and how does this course map to it?
The fundamentals exam follows the fifteen topics ISA lists for IC32: control systems security and awareness, the 62443 series, models and security levels, the IACS lifecycle, asset owner and service provider programmes, network basics and industrial protocols, patch management, risk assessment for design, secure products, security profiles and the protection scheme. Each of this course's fourteen study modules maps to one or more of those topics. ISA does not publish the question count or pass mark on the IC32 page, so check ISA's current information when you book.
Who is this IEC 62443 exam prep course for?
It is for control, automation and instrumentation engineers, IT staff working in plants, system integrators and product engineers who want a first ISA/IEC 62443 credential. Engineers in regions where 62443 increasingly appears in oil and gas, power and water specifications take it before booking ISA's course. Basic networking and some PLC, DCS or SCADA exposure help.
Is it free to learn, and do I need the standards?
Yes, every module, the notes, worked problems, practice questions, the project and the final assessment are free to learn. You do not need to buy the standards: the notes paraphrase them at concept level and point to free ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance, CISA and NIST SP 800-82 resources.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 21 hours: roughly 14 hours of video across fourteen study modules plus notes, worked problems and practice tasks, at your own pace. The optional water treatment plant project takes about 10 hours more.
What certificate do I get and how is it verified?
You get an EDWartens verifiable certificate of completion when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number, a QR code and a public verification page showing the course, the modules covered and your final score. It is not an ISA or IEC certificate.
How is this different from the OT and ICS Cybersecurity with ISA/IEC 62443 course?
This course is the fundamentals body of knowledge mapped to ISA's exam topics, with exam-style practice. OT and ICS Cybersecurity with ISA/IEC 62443 is the broader practical course on implementing OT security in a plant; take it next, or go on to OT Security Assessment for authorised assessment work.

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