Course syllabus - Industrial Cybersecurity

Objectives

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities are a threat to progress in the business sector and society. Current trends in rapid digitalization and automation (as in Industry 4.0) and increased connectivity also increases risks due to cyber security threats. Companies are aware of this threat and realise the need to invest in countermeasures, but development is hampered by lack of security competence. In this course, students will be made aware of the state-of-the-art in cybersecurity research and state of practice in industry. The course has the objective to provide proficiency in cybersecurity analysis and design in industrial settings, with a special focus on smart factories and Industry 4.0. To that aim, students will learn about advanced cybersecurity concepts, methodologies, and tools. They will also be able to apply their knowledge to casestudies of industrial relevance.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student shall be able to:  

1. describe the landscape of industrial cybersecurity, including main risks and protections,
2. analyze the cybersecurity needs in specific industrial contexts and plan for appropriate countermeasures,
3. show understanding of industrially relevant cybersecurity mechanisms,
4. describe advanced techniques for industrial cybersecurity analysis and design,
5. analyze cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities in reference industrial scenarios,   
6. perform penetration testing by using tools for vulnerability scanning and ethical hacking (including the ethical aspects),
7. understand the requirements and process for verification/compliance with respect to relevant cybersecurity standards and regulations (for example, ISO 27001, UNECE R155 and R156),
8. have an informed view of current industrial practices as well as state-of-the-art research,
9. have generic knowledge about selected industrial domains such as automotive security / manufacturing security and
10. have specialised knowledge about some key challenges as well as techniques for addressing them in selected industrial domains (such as secure boot, authentication, secure transmission).

Course content

- Introduction to industrial cybersecurity, including contexts (such as industry 4.0), motivation, definitions and reference taxonomy.  
- Evolution of industrial cyber-attacks (landscape and statistics). 
- Techniques for threat modelling and analysis.    
- Cybersecurity risk/vulnerability assessment. 
- Mitigation strategies, including fault-tolerance and recovery. 
- Cybersecurity monitoring and incident response, including forensics.    
- Overview of cybersecurity standards of relevance in selected industrial domains.    
- Laboratory exercises with selected cybersecurity tools.    
- Applications to example scenarios and case -studies of industrial relevance.   
- Guest lectures by industrial experts.   

The contents will reflect the latest research topics as well as industrial practices.  

Specific requirements

Cybersecurity Fundamentals, 7.5 credits. In addition, Swedish B/Swedish 3 and English A/English 6 are required. For courses given in entirely in English exemption is made from the requirement in Swedish B/Swedish 3.

Examination

Assignment (INL1),  1,5 credits, a set of assignments, examines the learning outcomes 1-3, marks Fail (U) or Pass (G). 
Laboratory work (LAB1), 3 credits, a series of laboratory exercises that continuously is presented according to instructions, examines the learning outcomes 5-6, marks Fail (U) or Pass (G). 
Written examination (TEN1), 3 credits, examines the learning outcomes 1-10, marks  Fail  (U), 3, 4 or 5. 

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding a disability has the opportunity to submit a request for supportive measures during written examinations or other forms of examination, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Examinations at First-cycle and Second-cycle Level at Mälardalen University (2020/1655). It is the examiner who takes decisions on any supportive measures, based on what kind of certificate is issued, and in that case which measures are to be applied.

Suspicions of attempting to deceive in examinations (cheating) are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, and are examined by the University’s Disciplinary Board. If the Disciplinary Board considers the student to be guilty of a disciplinary offence, the Board will take a decision on disciplinary action, which will be a warning or suspension.

Grade

Pass with distinction, Pass with credit, Pass, Fail

Interim Regulations and Other Regulations

The course overlaps with 2,5 credits with DVA487 Methods and Tools for Industrial Cybersecurity.