Academy for Continuing Education (ACE)

Building a Resilient Industrial Infrastructure - Mastering OT Cybersecurity

Operational Technology (OT) involves hardware and software systems managing physical industrial processes and infrastructure. Examples include Industrial Control Systems (ICS) in power plants, traffic control systems, and water treatment facility management systems.

Gartner* forecasts that by 2025, cyber attackers may weaponise operational technology (OT) to inflict harm or even cause fatalities. Are you prepared to tackle this daunting challenge? Join us to gain crucial knowledge on protecting OT systems from cyber threats and mitigating their consequences.

Our course offers a comprehensive introduction to OT cybersecurity essentials, encompassing IT and OT architecture analysis, insights into cyber-attack effects on OT environments, identification of threats and vulnerabilities, as well as best practices for policies, procedures, and technical controls to bolster your OT cybersecurity defenses.

* https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-07-21-gartner-predicts-by-2025-cyber-attackers-will-have-we

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the importance of the convergence of IT and OT.
• Compare and contrast between IT and OT cybersecurity.
• Explain the impact of a cyber-attack on an OT environment.
• Explain the different cybersecurity frameworks and models pertaining to OT cybersecurity.
• Explain and apply the different policies, procedures, and technical controls to improve the cybersecurity posture of an OT environment.
• Explain the key thrusts of the Singapore OT Cybersecurity Masterplan.
• Identify the types of OT threats and vulnerabilities.

Who should attend?

This course caters to individuals pursuing a fundamental understanding of OT Cybersecurity, with a particular focus on those working in mission-critical systems, facility management, and manufacturing sectors.

Entry Requirement

Basic IT Literacy. No prior knowledge of Operational Technology Cybersecurity is needed for this introductory course.

Certification

Participants will be awarded a certificate of completion upon meeting the 75% course attendance requirement.

For courses with assessment component, participants will be awarded the certification of completion upon passing the assessment. Otherwise, a certification of attendance will be issued instead upon meeting the 75% course attendance requirement.

Trainer’s Profile

James Tham. James started his career as an engineer in the Operational Technology (OT) space where he was responsible for the design and implantation of electrical and instrumentation systems for wastewater treatment facilities. He later pivoted to IT where he spent 13 years in the public sector where he managed the IT infrastructure and IT security in various government agencies.

He joined Republic Polytechnic in 2010 as a senior lecturer and has developed and taught security modules such as IT Security & Management, Ethical Hacking, Intrusion Detection & Prevention, Digital Forensics, IT Compliance, Cloud Security and Security Incident Response Management. He is currently the Programme Chair of the Diploma in Infocomm Security Management.

James is extremely passionate about cybersecurity and is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) since 2002. He is also a member of the Association of Information Security Professionals (AISP), Singapore and has actively contributed to the AISP’s Information Security Book of Knowledge (IS BOK) 2.0. James was appointed as a member of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) expert panel in the area of IT Security and Cloud Computing since 2017. James obtained the GIAC Response & Industrial Defense (GRID) certification from SANS.

James holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering as well as a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering.

James has conducted courses for various organizations, including SP Services, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, SME Centre, SICCI, Sopra Steria Asia, M1, and the Thai Bankers' Association.