TAC's Operational Technology BoOTcamp provides participants with the foundational tools and techniques for securing Operational Technology and Industrial Control Systems - closing the gap between IT and OT.

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Level

Foundational Course

Location

In-Person at TheLink Facility, Columbia MD / Mobile to Your Facility

Instructors

Upcoming Dates

November 3-7, 2025 (now full)

Course Overview

This BoOTcamp is a foundational course introducing security professionals with the skills to identify, evaluate, and mitigate the unique cybersecurity risks inherent to Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS), preparing you to protect the vital systems that power our world.

Upon completion of the course students will be able to identify OT systems, understand the unique security challenges they pose, and confidently execute strategies for protecting them.

Introduction to PLCs and Control Programing
Learn how to protect critical infrastructure
Create and Analyze MODBUS/TCP Scripts
Participate in Red/Blue Team Exercises
Engage in Simulation and Threat Analysis
Simulate plant operations by networking their PLCs.

Course Materials

The TAC will provide students with pre-configured laptops, breadboards, ESP32s, Raspberry Pis, wiring kits, and workbooks. Students will be able to take everything except the laptops home.

Course Prerequisites

Although this course is designed for professionals already in cybersecurity, it can be adapted for many different skill sets.

Incoming students should be able to:

Read basic code
Navigate Linux systems
- Students may supplement the Linux knowledge by working through a few modules on LabEx or Linux Survival

Enrollment:

6–20 students

Location

In-person: TheLink Facility in Columbia, MD
Mobile: We can bring our OT BoOTcamp to you

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Course Modules

What is a PLC?

Understand what a PLC is by creating a PLC out of an ESP 32

Ladder Logic

Learn how to read and make minor modifications to Ladder Logic – one of the most common PLC programming languages

Sensors and Actuators

Comprehend how plants operate through readings, discussions, and setting up a miniature plant

Modbus

Study the Modbus protocol by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Modbus

Network Architecture

Explore the Purdue model and demonstrate understanding by creating your own network architecture

Network Monitoring/ Attacking

Know how to start securing OT networks by creating, sending, and detecting attacks on your plant

Incident Response

Research and present on the various stages of Incident Response

Hack, Operate, Defend

Showcase your new skills by attacking, defending, and operating your plant

Operational Technology Training Aligned to National Cyber Workforce Standards

Our OTBC curriculum directly aligns with NICE and DoD 8140 cyber work roles, ensuring every learner develops the technical depth required to protect and operate industrial environments across government and industry.

NICE & DoD 8140-Aligned OT Cyber Training

OT/ICS Security Specialist

DoD 8140: 621 | NICE: OM-ENG-001

Skill Build: Hands-on PLC programming, ladder logic, HMI development, Modbus operations, OT network architecture, segmentation, and real-world OT incident response.

Cyber Defense Analyst

DoD 8140: 522 | NICE: PR-CDA-001

Skill Build: OT attack scenarios, threat identification, IoC analysis, SIEM monitoring with Elastic, OT Cyber Kill Chain, and risk-based hardening recommendations.

Network Operations Specialist

DoD 8140: 671 | NICE: OM-OPS-001

OTBC Skill Build: Purdue Model architecture, device identification, network segmentation & microsegmentation, and understanding communication paths across OT layers.

Control Systems Security Engineer

DoD 8140: 621 | NICE: OM-ENG-001

Skill Build: End-to-end understanding of PLCs, control logic, HMI behavior, ICS protocols, plant operations, and engineering-driven security architecture.

OT Cybersecurity Analyst

DoD 8140: 621/522 | NICE: OM-ANL-001

Skill Build: Device-level behavior, OT-specific risk assessment, IT/OT comparison, attack pattern analysis, and communication between PLCs, HMIs, and network layers.

Knowledge Skills And Abilities

Course Units & Activity

The ability to describe OT devices, how they operate, communicate including PLC, HMI, LD PLC editor, ModbusTCP control and monitoring.

Unit 1: What is a PLC? Program ESP32 as PLC.
Unit 2: Ladder Logic.
Unit 3: Plant Operations (automated oven via OpenPLC on Raspberry Pi).
Unit 4: Modbus & HMI communications.

Describe how computer networks operate and identify computing/network devices on OT networks.

Unit 5: Network Architecture – Purdue Model, devices within OT network, hypothetical Pizza Plant network design.

Describe similarities and differences between personal, enterprise, and cloud service devices.

Unit 5: Network Architecture – device types across levels of the OT network.

List and give examples of threats and attacks on OT/IT network devices.

Unit 6: Attacking and Defending – OT Cyber Kill Chain, Modbus attacks, lab-based attack and monitoring stations using Elastic Agent.

Explain IT vs OT users, access control, and the importance of network segmentation and microsegmentation in OT.

Unit 5: Network Architecture – Purdue Model and Pizza Plant segmentation.
Unit 7: Incident Response – IT vs OT IR, mini IR plan for the plant.

Conduct research and intelligence gathering on threats, threat groups, IoCs, and recommend prioritized defenses for an AOR.

Unit 7: Incident Response – research on IR stages, lessons learned, and identification-focused presentations.

Differentiate traditional IT cybersecurity versus OT cybersecurity and brief on OT threats/trends and relevant assets.

Unit 7: Incident Response – IT vs OT IR comparison, OT incidents review, mini IR plan for the OT plant.

Describe OT attack vectors using the Purdue Model, identify IoCs, and brief on mission impact.

Unit 5: Network Architecture – Purdue Model & segmentation.
Unit 6: Attacking and Defending – Modbus attacks, IoC identification, Elastic monitoring.

Identify and describe means of securing/hardening IT and OT networks, including insider threat and access control based on risk.

Unit 7: Incident Response – OT IR stages and plan.
Unit 3: Plant Operations – identifying critical operating parameters.

Explain how IoCs relate to detection rules, SIEM alerts, and incident response handling plans.

Unit 6: Attacking and Defending – Elastic Agent monitoring, Wireshark traffic analysis.
Unit 7: Incident Response – IR stages and planning for the plant.

Reviews

I really enjoyed the course. I was expecting something related to programming but was pleasantly surprised with the cyber info and all the hands on activities. I enjoyed the oven plant hacking scenario . We got to see an attack from all perspectives, attacker, defender and operator.

I loved this class. I recommend it because it covers a vital part of technology that is often overlooked. My favorite scenario was The Easy Bake Oven because I could see my ladder code in action and received a cookie.

Absolutely beneficial and a great resource for expanding your OT knowledge. You can see the real world application as well!

Protecting data is vital, but so is protecting the systems that keep our critical infrastructure running. As IT and OT converge, teams without OT expertise risk being unprepared for the threats ahead.

Get Started. Register For OT BoOTcamp

For The Individual: Join the waitlist for upcoming courses

What’s included? Yours to keep:

ESP32s
Raspberry Pis
Wiring kits
All course workbooks

For The Enterprise

Enterprise/Military Training Packages Available

As a nonprofit dedicated to advancing our nation’s cyber and defensive capabilities, The TAC offers discounted enterprise packages and military pricing. If you’re looking to upskill your team in integrated IT/OT cybersecurity, reach out to our team to learn how we can help, at a price that makes sense.

Equipping cyber professionals to Defend Critical Infrastructure at risk

This BoOTcamp trains professionals to secure Operational Technology used across the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, as defined by CISA, which are vital to U.S. security, economy, and public safety. These sectors include:

Why The TAC created OT BoOTcamp

The Technology Advancement Center’s (TAC) Operational Technology BoOTcamp addresses the urgent need to safeguard essential infrastructure from increasing cyber threats.

In 2024, attacks on critical infrastructure rose by 30% with more than 420 million incidents reported worldwide. Yet, only 34% of organizations employ tools specifically designed for Industrial Control Systems and Operational Technology, while many professionals lack the necessary certifications leaving the systems vulnerable and at risk.

Hosted by TAC, a prominent cybersecurity non-profit and led by its industry recognized research team, this hands-on BoOTcamp provides participants with vital skills to secure Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS), addressing the significant skills gap in this critical field.