ICS/OT Cybersecurity Fundamentals

ICS/OT Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Understand the Systems. Assess the Risks. Apply the Right Defenses.

Industrial control systems were designed to run reliably for decades. They were not designed to defend themselves against modern adversaries. ICS/OT Cybersecurity Fundamentals gives engineers, technicians, and IT professionals a clear, practical path from understanding what these systems are to knowing how to protect them.

What This Book Delivers

• ICS foundations first. Understand what PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and DCS platforms actually do before any security concepts are introduced.
• The IEC 62443 framework, applied. Zone and conduit design, security levels, and the risk assessment workflow that the standard defines.
• Real threats, real incidents. Attack reconstructions from Stuxnet to Colonial Pipeline, explained in terms that make the defensive lessons stick.
• OT-specific defenses. Passive monitoring, network segmentation, remote access controls, and vendor evaluation methods that fit operational constraints.
• Risk language that lands. Communicate risk clearly to management, auditors, and IT teams using the vocabulary they expect.

Who It's For

• OT engineers and automation technicians who are being asked to take on cybersecurity responsibilities.
• IT security professionals transitioning into ICS or OT environments.
• Anyone who needs to understand ICS cybersecurity at a working level before applying it on the job.

How It's Structured

• Chapters 1-3: ICS foundations — what the systems are, how they work, and how they communicate.
• Chapters 4-13: Cybersecurity fundamentals — threats, defenses, risk assessment, and the IEC 62443 framework.
• Each chapter builds on the last. No concept is introduced before the foundation for it exists.