Course Content

This course has 4 main topics covered each, topic will comprise of multiple units. The topics covered are:

1. Corrective Remote Maintenance
2. Remote Monitoring and Data Acquisition
3. Remote Update of Programs and Functionalities
4. Industrial Cybersecurity

Corrective Remote Maintenance

The units under this topic will cover using remote maintenance systems to troubleshoot and resolve equipment issues. It will focus on

• The guiding principles of remote maintenance
• Different remote maintenance technologies and tools
• Fault diagnosis techniques
• Remote troubleshooting best practices
• Security considerations for remote maintenance connections

Remote Monitoring and Data Acquisition

This topic covers data gathering practices and how to establish connections to secure automation networks for the purpose of gathering maintenance data. It will focus on

• Introduction to Industry 4.0
• The automation environment
• OPC-UA introduction and overview
• MQTT Introduction and overview
• How to set up an MQTT network for remote data acquisition

Remote Update of Programs and Functionalities

This topic will focus on remote updates on machinery. The units will cover the following

• Guiding principles of remote program updates
• Introduction to different types of PLC systems
• Different remote update mechanisms for various equipment types
• Test and verification procedures after remote updates
• Security considerations and version control of remote updates

Industrial Cybersecurity

This topic covers cybersecurity principles and practices relevant to securing industrial automation systems. Units will cover

• Types of cyber threats targeting control systems
• Secure communication protocols for remote connections
• Network hardening techniques for industrial networks.
• Virtual private network management for secure access
• Best Practices for industrial cybersecurity incident response

Course Goals

• Understand and configure system operating parameters and alarm thresholds.

• Establish secure remote connections to automation systems.

• Analyse machine data history and modify parameters for continued operation.

• Develop troubleshooting procedures and provide remote support to technicians.

• Explain the concept of Industry 4.0 and its practical application in factory environments.

• Understand common data gathering infrastructure used within factories.

• Configure and debug internal data gathering systems based on protocols like OPC-UA and MQTT

• Explain the importance of secure and efficient remote updates for industrial machinery.

• Identify different mechanisms used for remote program and functionality updates.

• Apply best practices for safe and reliable remote updates.

• Understanding the specific threats targeting industrial control systems (ICS) compared to traditional IT threats.

• Learning about secure protocols like PPTP, L2TP, SSL/TLS, SSH, and IPSec used to safeguard data confidentiality and integrity during communication over IP networks.

• Network Hardening Techniques: Building strong network defenses to minimize vulnerabilities.

• Virtual Private Network (VPN) Management: Learning how to install and configure OpenVPN servers on Linux PCs and VPN routers

Previous Knowledge

Previous knowledge on the following would be advantageous but not necessarily essential

• Understanding of PLC systems
• General networking knowledge
• Understanding of automation systems

Course Procedure

Certificate

For actively participating in the course you will receive an automatic certificate which includes your name, the course name as well as the completed lessons. We want to point out that this certificate merely confirms that you answered at least 75% of the self-assessment questions correctly.

Licence

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

This project (Project number: 2021-1-ES01-KA220-VET-000033027) has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.