Cyber security: U.S. Homeland Security  offers new Web courses

-- Control Engineering, 2/6/2008

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Cyber Security Division has released a new on-line training course, “OPSEC for Control Systems.” This innovative, Web-based course introduces users to the basic concepts of operations security (OPSEC) and applies these concepts to the control system environment. There are interactive exercises that provide students the opportunity to explore different environments to discover OPSEC problems.

Jeffery Hahn, industry liaison for Idaho National Labs, says, “Course lessons let you check your understanding of the concepts with interactive exercises in which you explore different environments to discover problems. You even have the opportunity to play the ‘bad guy’ and try to disrupt a competitor's manufacturing process.”

Critical lesson points are reinforced with animations that illustrate key concepts and section summaries to refresh your memory. This course was developed through the Control Systems Security Program, established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Cyber Security Division. The use of Web-based curriculum is designed to reach a wider number of potential participants and spread the word faster.

“Our push continues to be awareness,” Hahn adds. “Instructor-led courses only reach a niche of people, but these can go to the masses. This new course on operations security isn’t so much about how to setup a firewall but to show people what information they hold that needs to be secured. It’s been in development for a year now, and we’re very excited to get it out.”

—Peter Welander, process industries editor, peter.welander@reedbusiness.com,
Process & Advanced Control Monthly
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