Advanced System Technology branch AST of Fraunhofer IOSBChallenges
Increasing digitization is currently a core issue for business and society. While companies face major challenges with Industry 4.0, public life continues to depend on the availability of critical infrastructures. Thus, the networking of these essential structures requires as much attention as the industrial sector. This is because as opportunities and data exchange grow, so does the potential threat from cyberattacks.
These usually begin in less critical and less secure areas such as administration. Successively, the attack progresses through the network hierarchy until the targeted systems are found. Control rooms, control and automation systems are then accessible and the critical infrastructure is directly attackable. The consequences of such an offensive can be devastating and severely impact large segments of society.
Thus arises the need to create a fundamental and sustainable security awareness. IT security must be viewed holistically and integrated into the everyday lives of critical infrastructure operators. The further development of installed technical security mechanisms is supplemented by organizational measures to raise employee awareness and secure business processes. An information security management system provides the right framework for structured and continuous implementation of the necessary measures.
Target groups
- management, our courses provide a comprehensive overview of
- the the current legal situation,
- successful attacks and the vulnerabilities exploited,
- prevailing standards as well as the
- process-oriented approach for the introduction of an ISMS and
- the own sensitization in the daily work with IT systems.
You then have the motivation, security awareness, and background information necessary to take the right steps to improve cybersecurity for your critical infrastructure.
The implementation is done by your employees, who are IT security officers, planners, developers and users in the company. You will learn in our courses,
- which attacks critical infrastructures are exposed to,
- how one's own company and the prevailing systems can be checked for vulnerabilities,
- which possibilities the existing IT security standards offer,
- how to implement an ISMS with the support of a suitable tool, and
- to sensitize employees to cybersecurity in the long term.
Equipment
In our learning lab, complete IT and hardware infrastructures can be flexibly simulated. The centerpiece is an OPAL-RT test bench for hardware-in-the-loop tests. From simple office computers to firewalls and VLANs, most heterogeneous and diverse IT system landscapes can be simulated.
It also enables a wide range of R&D test scenarios, such as triggering protection systems without physical network overload, emulating power and transformer signals, and any sensor signals. Furthermore, the learning laboratory has control system, engineering and power quality monitoring workstations.
A unique feature is the simulation of a real motor-generator combination, which can be used to simulate consumers, generators and the control of industrial and power plants. The learning lab serves as a component of our training portfolio as well as for applied research in the field of IT cybersecurity, from which you can already benefit in our offers.
Detailed information about the learning lab(PDF)