Operational Technology and Industrial Control Systems Security
Develop the skills to safeguard critical industrial systems from emerging attacks. This course focuses on defending OT (Operational Technology) and ICS (Industrial Control Systems) environments using practical techniques applied in real operational networks.
This course explores ethical and legal considerations in assessing OT and ICS environments, including network enumeration, mapping, and the use of traffic analysis tools. Students will examine device management, exploitation techniques, and the physical security of critical assets. Coverage extends to IoE and wireless attack surfaces, supported by recognised best-practice frameworks such as ISO 27001, ISO 27005, ISO 27014, the Cyber Assessment Framework, ISA99 and the IEC 62443 Series.
On completion of this short course, students will be able to:
- Identify and explain OT and ICS protocol vulnerabilities and evaluate the security of an industrial network infrastructure.
- Design and implement countermeasures to protect an OT network and ICS from unauthorised access.
- Understand the ethical, legal and operational policies of OT and ICS security testing.
- Critically evaluate security controls used to protect OT and ICS networked systems.
- Effectively communicate the results of OT and ICS auditing, assessing and security testing to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
RGU Upskilling
Undertaking a RGU online short course can help you to develop or change your career or support your business to grow.
We're proud to offer a range of online short courses tailored to meet the evolving needs of businesses and individuals both locally, nationally and in the global community. Additionally, if you are domiciled in Scotland, you may be eligible for a fee-waiver place, which means you could study for free. Identified and created in collaboration with industry, these credit-bearing online courses are designed to enhance employability for individuals and organisations looking to upskill their workforce.
Find out more about the range of courses on offer and the benefits of studying online with RGU:
Learning Methods
The course is delivered online via interactive lecture and tutorial sessions using our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Moodle. These sessions are supported by virtual lab activities.
Activity Summary
- Lectures: 10 students per group, 1 hour per week
- Webinars: 10 students per group, 2 hours per week
- Independent Study: 27 hours per week
Assessment
This course is assessed through a written assignment, including essay.
Independent Study
- Materials and exercises are available online, allowing participants to study flexibly and independently at time and place to fit around existing work and life commitments.
- Further reading resources.
- Online tutor support.
Staff Delivering on This Course
The course team is comprised of experienced academics who won multiple STAR awards and have worked on multiple research and consultancy projects in the field of cyber security.
Find out moreRGUflex
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Academic Year 2025/2026
Fee-waiver places
If you are domiciled in Scotland, you may be eligible for a fee-waiver place, meaning you can study for free.
To meet the requirements to be allocated a funded place, applicants must meet the criteria to be assessed as "Home" for the purposes of fees. Find out more about the Fee Status and the Scottish Government regulations that we use to make our assessment:
Eligibility is assessed on application and further evidence may be required.
All other applicants
Applicants who are not eligible for a fee-waiver place will be required to meet the module cost to study:
- Course fee - £520 for entire module
Additional Costs
Some other costs are not included in the course fees:
Disclaimer
For new intakes, course fees are reviewed and published annually for each mode of delivery. Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of a course at the rate confirmed in the offer letter. For further information:
Any Questions?
Get in touch with the team and we'll do our best to help.