Industry lecture session is an important part of TAR UMT?s Beyond Education experience. These sessions are led by industry professionals who share and discuss the latest industry practices and trends with students.

One such session was led by Ts Gary Kong, an Operational Technology (OT) Security Consultant from YNY Technology. Ts Gary met with TAR UMT students pursuing the Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Information Security on 10 May 2023 to share about OT systems penetration testing.

It was an informative session that explored the challenges and risks associated with securing critical infrastructure and industrial control systems. The most exciting part of the session was when Ts Gary shared penetration testing walkthroughs related to access with weak credentials, unauthenticated password hash disclosure, broken authentication and Modbus/TCP access in an industrial control systems environment.

Students were also given insights into the potential consequences of a successful attack on OT systems, such as disruption of essential services, safety hazards, and financial losses. The session concluded with a strong message for students to remember; as practitioners of information security, it is important to learn how to secure OT systems, ensuring the resilience and reliability of critical infrastructures.