Training
Featured CourseView All Courses
Get a Free Hour of SANS Training

Experience SANS training through course previews.

Learn More
Learning Paths
FeaturedView all Focus Areas
Cloud Security Training, Courses, and Resources
Can't find what you are looking for?

Let us help.

Contact us
Community Resources

SANS Community Benefits

Connect, learn, and share with other cybersecurity professionals

AI Risk & Readiness

Explore expert-driven guidance, training, and tools to help defend against AI-powered threats and adopt AI securely.

Join the SANS Community

Become a member for instant access to our free resources.

Sign Up
For Organizations

Public Sector

Mission-focused cybersecurity training for government, defense, and education

Partnerships

Explore industry-specific programming and customized training solutions

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsor a SANS event or research paper

Interested in developing a training plan to fit your organization’s needs?

We're here to help.

Contact Us
Talk With an Expert
Talk With an Expert

The Five ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls

Download File
The Five ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls (PDF, 2.43MB)Published: 07 Nov, 2022
Created by:
Robert M. LeeTim Conway
Robert M. Lee & Tim Conway

This paper sets forth the five most relevant critical controls for an ICS/OT cybersecurity strategy that can flex to an organization's risk model, and provides guidance for implementing them.

Meet the experts

Robert M. Lee

Robert M. Lee

Fellow

SANS Fellow and Dragos CEO Robert M. Lee, author of ICS515 and FOR578 and co-author of ICS310, teaches from landmark industrial cyber investigations, turning real adversary tradecraft into visibility, detection, and response skills in OT.

Learn more
Tim Conway

Tim Conway

Fellow

Tim serves as the Technical Director of ICS and SCADA programs at SANS, and he is responsible for developing, reviewing, and implementing technical components of the SANS ICS and SCADA product offerings.

Learn more

Additional resources

OT Network Visibility and Detective Controls in a NERC CIP World

WhitepaperIndustrial Control Systems Security
  • 20 Aug 2025
  • Tim Conway

NERC CIP-015: Monitoring Deep Inside Critical Networks to Keep Adversaries Outside

WhitepaperIndustrial Control Systems Security
  • 14 Aug 2025
  • Tim Conway, Robert M. Lee

Prioritized Industrial Cyber Defense in Oil and Gas

WhitepaperIndustrial Control Systems Security
  • 13 Jun 2025
  • Dean Parsons

A Simple Framework for OT Ransomware Preparation

WhitepaperIndustrial Control Systems Security
  • 15 Apr 2025
  • Lesley Carhart

ICS Security and Management of Change: Risks and Resilience

WhitepaperIndustrial Control Systems Security, Security Awareness, Cybersecurity and IT Essentials
  • 15 Apr 2025
  • Jason Dely

Webs of Deception: Using the SANS ICS Kill Chain to Flip the Advantage to the Defender

WhitepaperIndustrial Control Systems Security
  • 14 Apr 2025

Related courses

  • Slide 1 of 7

    ICS515: ICS Visibility, Detection, and Response

    Intermediate
    ICS515Industrial Control Systems Security
    ICS515: ICS Visibility, Detection, and Response
    • GIAC Response and Industrial Defense (GRID)
    • 6 Days (Instructor-Led)
    • 36 CPEs / 36 Hours (Self-Paced)
    • Labs: 25 Hands-On Labs

    View course detailsRegister
  • Slide 2 of 7

    ICS418: ICS Security Essentials for Leaders

    Essentials
    ICS418Industrial Control Systems Security
    ICS418: ICS Security Essentials for Leaders
    • 12 CPEs / 12 Hours (Self-Paced)
    • Labs: 12 Hands-On Labs

    View course detailsRegister
  • Slide 3 of 7

    ICS613: ICS/OT Penetration Testing & Assessments

    newAdvanced
    ICS613Industrial Control Systems Security
    ICS613: ICS/OT Penetration Testing & Assessments
    • 5 Days (Instructor-Led)
    • 30 CPEs / 30 Hours (Self-Paced)
    • Labs: 27 Hands-On Labs

    View course detailsRegister
  • Slide 4 of 7

    ICS456: Essentials for NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection

    Essentials
    ICS456Industrial Control Systems Security
    ICS456: Essentials for NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection
    • GIAC Critical Infrastructure Protection (GCIP)
    • 5 Days (Instructor-Led)
    • 31 CPEs / 31 Hours (Self-Paced)
    • Labs: 23 Hands-On Labs

    View course detailsRegister
  • Slide 5 of 7

    ICS310: ICS Cybersecurity Foundations

    newBeginner
    ICS310Industrial Control Systems Security
    ICS310: ICS Cybersecurity Foundations
    • 6 CPEs / 6 Hours (Self-Paced)
    • Labs: 3 Hands-On Labs

    View course detailsRegister
  • Slide 6 of 7

    ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials

    Essentials
    ICS410Industrial Control Systems Security
    ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials
    • GIAC Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP)
    • 6 Days (Instructor-Led)
    • 36 CPEs / 36 Hours (Self-Paced)
    • Labs: 15 Hands-On Labs

    View course detailsRegister
  • Slide 7 of 7

    ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth

    Advanced
    ICS612Industrial Control Systems Security
    ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth
    • 5 Days (Instructor-Led)
    • 30 CPEs / 30 Hours (Self-Paced)
    • Labs: 25 Hands-On Labs

    View course detailsRegister