Certified ICS/OT & Industrial DFIR Specialist (CIODFIR) Certification Program by Tonex
This program prepares professionals to investigate and respond to cyber incidents in complex ICS and OT environments where safety, uptime and compliance are critical. Participants learn how industrial protocols, PLCs, field devices and SCADA systems behave under attack and how to preserve evidence without disrupting production. The program emphasizes practical DFIR workflows tailored to energy grids, manufacturing plants and other critical infrastructure.
Learners explore OT focused malware, firmware tampering and covert backdoors that target safety controllers and engineering workstations. Throughout the course, cybersecurity impact is highlighted through real world breach patterns and response lessons. Graduates of this program gain skills to strengthen cybersecurity across industrial environments by rapidly identifying root cause, containing threats and supporting resilient recovery with defensible forensic reporting.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how ICS and OT architectures change digital forensics and response practices in critical infrastructure
- Identify indicators of compromise across PLCs SCADA servers HMIs and engineering workstations in industrial networks
- Collect and preserve OT forensic evidence while maintaining safety availability and regulatory obligations
- Analyze industrial malware families and firmware backdoors that directly affect operational technology cybersecurity posture
- Correlate logs packets and device artifacts to reconstruct attacker timelines and support cybersecurity investigations and reporting
- Coordinate with operations engineers legal teams and external stakeholders to conduct effective DFIR in high pressure industrial incidents
Audience
- Cybersecurity Professionals
- ICS and OT Security Engineers
- Incident Responders and DFIR Analysts
- Control Systems and SCADA Engineers
- Critical Infrastructure Risk and Compliance Officers
- SOC Analysts and Threat Hunters
- Energy Utilities and Manufacturing Technology Leaders
Program Modules
Module 1: Modern ICS Cyber Threat Landscape
- ICS and OT reference architectures
- Common ICS protocol exposure paths
- Threat actors targeting critical infrastructure
- Safety and reliability impacts of cyber incidents
- Case studies of major industrial intrusions
- Mapping attacks to ICS specific kill chains
Module 2: ICS OT Artifact Capture Techniques
- Evidence handling for live industrial systems
- Network traffic collection in segmented zones
- Log sources from historians SCADA and HMIs
- Time synchronization and clock drift challenges
- Imaging and evidence transfer in constrained plants
- Chain of custody and documentation for regulators
Module 3: PLC Memory Extraction And Analysis
- PLC families and engineering tool ecosystems
- Techniques for safe memory extraction from PLCs
- Decoding ladder logic function block and structured text
- Identifying unauthorized logic changes and hidden routines
- Comparing golden images with field deployed configurations
- Reporting PLC forensic findings to operators and management
Module 4: Industrial Malware And Firmware Forensics
- Traits of OT focused malware and wiper families
- Analysis of TRITON style safety controller attacks
- Analysis of CRASHOVERRIDE style grid focused attacks
- Firmware acquisition from controllers and embedded devices
- Detecting firmware implants and configuration abuse
- Linking malware activity to operational impact narratives
Module 5: OT Incident Command And Recovery
- Building multimodal ICS OT incident response playbooks
- Roles and responsibilities across cyber and operations teams
- Communication with regulators vendors and leadership during crises
- Eradication containment and staged restoration strategies
- Verifying system integrity before returning to production
- Post incident lessons learned and resilience improvements
Module 6: Governance Metrics And DFIR Readiness
- Policies for industrial DFIR readiness and tabletop exercises
- OT asset and data classification for forensic value
- Integrating DFIR requirements into engineering projects
- Metrics and KPIs for industrial incident response maturity
- Coordinating with third party providers and national authorities
- Long term cybersecurity improvement roadmaps for ICS OT estates
Exam Domains
- Foundations of Industrial DFIR and ICS Security
- Forensic Acquisition in Operational Technology Environments
- Analysis of Industrial Control Logic and Firmware
- Critical Infrastructure Malware and Threat Campaigns
- Coordinated Response and Recovery in OT Incidents
- Governance Compliance and Reporting for Industrial Cyber Events
Course Delivery
The course is delivered through a combination of lectures interactive discussions structured workshops and project based learning led by experts in industrial DFIR ICS security and critical infrastructure protection. Participants engage with realistic industrial scenarios case narratives and practical exercises focused on OT networks PLCs SCADA and energy environments. Learning materials include curated readings incident reports and guided analytic templates that help participants translate theory into effective cybersecurity response practice in their own organizations.
Assessment and Certification
Participants are assessed through quizzes short analytical assignments and a capstone style case study in which they interpret an industrial incident and propose a response plan. Performance is evaluated on technical accuracy clarity of reasoning and the ability to connect findings to operational and safety impact. Upon successful completion of the program participants receive the Certified ICS OT And Industrial DFIR Specialist CIODFIR certificate from Tonex validating their capability to lead and support cybersecurity focused investigations in industrial environments.
Question Types
- Multiple Choice Questions MCQs
- Scenario based Questions
Passing Criteria
To pass the Certified ICS OT And Industrial DFIR Specialist CIODFIR Certification Training exam candidates must achieve a score of 70% or higher.
Strengthen your ability to protect critical infrastructure from disruptive and dangerous cyber incidents by mastering industrial DFIR with Tonex. Enroll in the Certified ICS OT And Industrial DFIR Specialist CIODFIR Certification Program to deepen your expertise lead high impact investigations and elevate cybersecurity resilience across your ICS and OT environments.