Arnaud Soullie - Hack the Connected Plant! - DCTLV2025

Name of Training: Hack the connected plant!
Trainer(s): Arnaud Soullié
Dates: August 11-12, 2025
Time: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PT
Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center
Cost: $2100

Course Description: 

Tired of legacy ICS systems? Attend this training to hack the next generation of Industrial Control Systems! No more Modbus, no more standard PLC, no more Purdue model!

This training is designed to show what the future might look like for Industrial Control Systems, and how it will impact cybersecurity.

We’ll bring a realistic ICS setup that features all the fancy current and future trends: SD-WAN and Zero Trust, OPC-UA, MQTT, Edge device and soft-PLCs to control a small-scale industrial process simulation.

The first day will be dedicated to introducing the new cybersecurity challenges faced by modern Industrial Control Systems, and doing hands-on exercises on AWS pentesting, soft-PLC exploitation

On the second day we’ll reflect on the updated threat models and then we’ll spend the full day working on a realistic Capture-the-Flag exercise, where we’ll have to go from 0 to impacting a small industrial setup. The CTF will be guided, with answers given on a regular basis, so that all attendees can capture all the flags. We’ll end this exciting day with the takeaways of the exercise, and what could be done to prevent & detect the attacks we performed.

Course Outline: 

DAY 1

• Introduction to Industrial Control Systems
  • A little bit of history
  • Components
  • Main weaknesses
  • Wavestone’s ICS cybersecurity benchmark
• Architecture models for modern ICS
  • New network solutions: SD-WAN, Zero-Trust Network Access…
  • Interfacing legacy and modern ICS
  • Cloud computing

• Legacy & modern ICS protocols (Modbus/tcp, MQTT, OPC-UA)
  • Presentation of common ICS protocols and their characteristics
  • Exercises analyzing network captures
  • Using clients to assess the features and security of modern protocols

• Soft and hybrid PLCs, Edge devices
  • Analyzing the differences between standard and hybrid / soft PLCs
  • New attacks
  • New defense capabilities

• Cloud security & AWS pentesting
  • Cloud security model
  • AWS-specifics
  • Hands-on exercises to get initial access and perform privilege escalation on AWS

DAY 2

• Updated threat models for modern ICS
  • Putting everything we learned on day 1 together to create an updated threat model, that will serve as a blueprint for the capture the flag

• Capture the Flag! 
  • Almost day-long exercise to go from 0 to impacting a small industrial setup
  • Exercice will be guided, answers shared on a regular basis so that everyone can get all the flags
  • We’ll use a CTFd server to make things a little more exciting!

Difficulty Level:

This beginner-intermediate training is accessible to anyone familiar with cybersecurity basics, TCP/IP and usage of the command line. An experience in Industrial Control Systems is a plus but not a prerequisite.

Suggested Prerequisites:

There are no hard prerequisites for this class.

What Students Should Bring: 

Students need to bring a laptop with a web browser and a SSH client.

Trainer(s) Bio:

Arnaud Soullié is a Senior Manager at Wavestone, a global consulting company. For 15 years, he has been performing security assessments and pentests on all types of targets. He started specializing in ICS cybersecurity 10 years ago. He has spoken at numerous security conferences on ICS topics, including: BlackHat Europe, BruCon, 4SICS, BSides Las Vegas, and DEFCON. He is also the creator of the DYODE project, an open source data diode aimed at ICS. He has taught ICS cybersecurity trainings since 2015.

Registration Terms and Conditions: 

Trainings are refundable before July 8, 2025, minus a non-refundable processing fee of $250.

Trainings are non-refundable after July 8, 2025.

Training tickets may be transferred. Please email us at training@defcon.org for specifics.

If a training does not reach the minimum registration requirement, it may be cancelled. In the event the training you choose is cancelled, you will be provided the option of receiving a full refund or transferring to another training (subject to availability).

Failure to attend the training without prior written notification, will be considered a no-show. No refund will be given.

By purchasing this ticket you agree to abide by the DEF CON Training Code of Conduct and the registration terms and conditions listed above.

Several breaks will be included throughout the day. Please note that food is not included.

All courses come with a certificate of completion, contingent upon attendance at all course sessions.