Assessing and Exploiting Control Systems

This is not your traditional SCADA security course! How many courses send you home with your own PLC and a set of hardware/RF hacking tools?!? This course teaches hands-on penetration testing techniques used to test individual components of a control system, including embedded electronic field devices, network protocols, RF communications, and master servers. Skills learned apply directly to systems such as the Smart Grid, PLCs, RTUs, smart meters, building management, manufacturing, Home Area Networks (HAN), smart appliances, SCADA, substation automation, and synchrophasors. This course is structured around the formal penetration testing methodology created by UtiliSec for the United States Department of Energy. Using this methodology and SamuraiSTFU (Security Testing Framework for Utilities), an open source Linux distribution for pentesting energy sector systems and other critical infrastructure, we will perform hands-on penetration testing tasks on user interfaces (on master servers and field device maintenance interfaces), control system protocols (modbus, DNP3, IEC 60870-5-104), RF communications (433MHz, 869MHz, 915MHz), and embedded circuit attacks (memory dumping, bus snooping, JTAG, and firmware analysis). We will tie these techniques and exercises back to control system devices that can be tested using these techniques. The course exercises will be performed on a mixture of real world and simulated devices to give students the most realistic experience as possible in a portable classroom setting.

Advances in modern control systems such as the energy sector Smart Grid brings great benefits for asset owners/operators and customers alike; however, these benefits come at a cost from a security perspective. With increased functionality and additional inter-system communication, modern control systems bring a greater risk of compromise that both asset owners/operators and customers must accept to realize the desired benefits. To minimize this risk, penetration testing in conjunction with other security assessment types must be performed to minimize vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit critical infrastructures that exist in all countries around the world.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICS
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCADA
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_control_system
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_grid
• http://nostarch.com/xboxfree Note: While this has nothing to do with control systems, it provides a great introduction to the concepts and techniques taught in this class to pen test embedded electronic hardware in ICS field/floor devices.)
• http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir/ir7628/nistir-7628_vol3.pdf- Chapter 7 of the NIST Interagency Report 7628, titled Bottom-up Security Analysis of the Smart Grid, provides a great overview of the challenges faced in Smart Grid and energy sector systems, many of which we are testing for and exploiting in this class.
  

• Laptop with at least two USB ports (three ports preferred). If only two USB ports exist on the laptop AND they are right next to each other (such as found on a Macbook Air), a USB extension cable must be brought as well
• Latest VMware Player, VMware Workstation, VWware Fusion installed. Other virtualization software such as Parallels or VirtualBox may work if the attendee is familiar with its functionality, however VMware Player should be prepared as a backup just in case
• Access to an account with administrative permissions and the ability to disable all security software on their laptop such as Antivirus and/or firewalls if needed for the class
• At least thirty (30) GB of free hard drive space
• At least four (4) GB of RAM, optimally eight (8) GB or RAM
  

• Power for your laptop
• Internet connectivity may or may not be available depending on the facility hosting the course Â" Latest version of SamuraiSTFU (Security Testing Framework for Utilities)
• PDF version of the course slide deck
• Student hardware kits to keep