OT/ICS / Track

OT Security Analyst

Protect physical processes where uptime beats patch cadence.

OT Security sits where bits meet atoms. The discipline runs on different rules from IT — availability dominates, patch windows are rare, and legacy PLCs aren't going anywhere. Expect deep familiarity with the Purdue model and IEC 62443.

Tools in scope

ClarotyNozomi NetworksDragosWireshark (ICS dissectors)

How different employers interview

Energy / utilities

NERC CIP, safety-system interactions, and downtime tolerance tested deeply.

Manufacturing

More on legacy PLC support, vendor remote access, and shopfloor segmentation.

// Sample question

A plant manager refuses a patch cycle on a Level 2 HMI because of production targets. How do you reduce risk without the patch?

Show strong-answer outline

Compensate with segmentation and monitoring: tighten firewall rules between Levels 2 and 3, enforce one-way data diodes where possible, deploy passive ICS monitoring to baseline traffic, and document the accepted risk with a planned patch window during the next scheduled outage.

Reading list

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