I am fortunate to have a good career in Cyber Security, specialising in Operational Technology, and I am repeatedly asked by people – how can I get a start in Cyber Security? The first task really is to ensure you understand the fundamentals, even for individuals working in the IT industry, if they are not exposed to the topic there can be a steep learning curve as they pivot into Cyber Security.
Because of that I have looked at online free courses, provided by reputable organisations, that cover the fundamentals and allow people to upskill – they all assume some IT or OT knowledge.
For more the real basics, the Fortinet Certified Fundamentals Cybersecurity is a good place to start.
If you have some OT/ICS experience the Cisco Securing Industrial IoT Networks with Cisco Technologies is worth looking at, but be mindful that Cisco are very good at pushing their products, and while the concepts are well covered, most modules end with some sort of ‘and this Cisco product/technology is great and should be used’ type of content.
One of the best resources for free training that I recommend to all people working in an OT/ICS environment, even if their role is not Cyber Security specific, is the ICS Training Available Through CISA. They currently have over 10 courses available 24/7 through their Virtual Learning Platform – do note that a corporate, government, military, or education email address is required for registration. These are 101 and 201 level courses, meaning an introductory level of training that provides foundational knowledge or skills.
For a more advanced level of free ICS/OT Cyber Security training, CISA offer the Advanced Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems (ICS300), but do note that delegates should have practical knowledge and experience with ICS networks, software, and components. They should have a practical understanding of IT network basics such as User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), as well as media access control (MAC) and Internet Protocol (IP) addressing.
Although CISA state that ICS300 is not a prerequisite for the Industrial Control Systems Evaluation (401) course, in my opinion the 300 course sets delegates up for the 401 course.
The most recent addition to the CISA online training portfolio is Foundations of ICS Threat Detection in OT Environment (ICS310) which provides essential knowledge and tools for industrial cybersecurity professionals preparing to hunt threats in ICS environments. Delegates explore the MITRE ATT&CK and DeTT&CT frameworks, core platforms like Security Onion and Malcolm, and gain hands-on familiarity with tools such as Arkime, NetBox, and dashboard-based network analysis.
I have completed all of the above courses in order that I can be comfortable recommending them to people, they are free and in my opinion worth investing the time into if you are starting out in this industry. They are unlikely to impress a hiring manager, but provide a solid base for paid for courses such as ISA62443 or SANS courses.