Full Report
On September 26 – 27, 2018 Kaspersky Lab ICS CERT and Fraunhofer IOSB conducted their first “Advanced Industrial Cybersecurity in Practice” joint training course
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: Kaspersky Lab and Fraunhofer IOSB Launch Joint Industrial Cybersecurity Training Initiative
## Summary
Kaspersky Lab ICS CERT and the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB formalized their collaboration by launching their first joint advanced industrial cybersecurity training course in late September 2018. This initiative combines Kaspersky’s threat intelligence expertise with Fraunhofer’s deep R&D and engineering focus in industrial control systems (ICS) to address the growing need for specialized operational technology (OT) security skills.
## Key Details
- **Date:** September 26 – 27, 2018 (Training dates)
- **Companies Involved:** Kaspersky Lab ICS CERT, Fraunhofer IOSB
- **Category:** Partnership / Training & Services Launch
## The Story
The "Advanced Industrial Cybersecurity in Practice" course marks a significant step in the operationalization of the cooperation between two key players in the industrial security ecosystem. Kaspersky ICS CERT brings extensive global threat monitoring and incident response capabilities specifically targeting ICS environments, while Fraunhofer IOSB, a leading German research organization, offers deep expertise in industrial automation and engineering security standards. The inaugural training focused on practical application, suggesting a commitment to closing the skills gap in defending critical infrastructure and manufacturing environments.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved
- **Kaspersky Lab:** Enhances credibility and market penetration within the highly regulated and engineering-focused sectors (like German industry), positioning its ICS services beyond pure software/endpoint protection.
- **Fraunhofer IOSB:** Solidifies its role as a practical training provider, leveraging industry threats identified by Kaspersky to make its research relevant and immediately applicable.
### For Competitors
- Competitors offering generic IT security training or narrower ICS certification courses face increased pressure from a joint offering that combines advanced threat intelligence with deep engineering research background.
### For Customers
- Customers gain access to high-fidelity, context-aware training that bridges the gap between theoretical security concepts and the specific, often legacy, realities of operational technology (OT) infrastructure.
### For the Market
- This partnership signals a maturity curve in the industrial security market, where vendors and research bodies are actively collaborating to solve the persistent workforce skills shortage in OT security.
## Technical Implications
The focus on "in Practice" suggests the curriculum likely covers incident response tailored for PLCs/RTUs, secure configuration management for proprietary industrial protocols, and practical red/blue teaming exercises within emulated or controlled industrial environments, leveraging real-world threat data.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** Both entities position themselves as authorities tackling the most complex aspects of ICS security—moving beyond simple network segmentation to address threat hunting and resilience within live OT processes.
- **Competitive Advantage:** The partnership leverages the credibility of a respected public research institution adjacent to governmental/industrial standards bodies (Fraunhofer) alongside Kaspersky's global threat visibility.
- **Challenges:** Ensuring the scale and frequency of the training meets global demand, and navigating potential data sovereignty or export control concerns depending on the level of threat data shared.
## Industry Reactions
This move is likely viewed positively by industry standards organizations and major industrial end-users who often struggle to find sufficiently experienced personnel to manage their increasingly digitized OT environments. It aligns with the broader industry trend prioritizing applied security skills development.
## Future Outlook
We can expect this partnership to evolve into standardized certification tracks or more specialized modules targeting specific vertical sectors (e.g., energy, utilities, automotive manufacturing). Further integrations of Kaspersky's threat telemetry directly into Fraunhofer’s research or testing facilities are also probable.
## For Security Professionals
Practitioners in the OT space should watch for opportunities to attend these advanced courses. The integration of real-world threat intelligence (from Kaspersky) into research-backed training (from Fraunhofer) represents a high-value learning opportunity far surpassing standard introductory security certifications.