OT-ISAC and CyberXCenter DeliverOT Defense Training in Singapore

https://www.otisac.org/ot-isac-partnership-with-cyberxcenter

Singapore | January 13, 2026 — OT-ISAC, in collaboration with CyberXCenter, successfully conducted an in-person training session titled “Building and Testing OT Defenses: Purdue Architecture & Live Simulation.” The session convened OT and critical infrastructure practitioners for a focused, hands-on learning experience designed to strengthen real-world operational defenses.

The training moved beyond conceptual discussion by translating the Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture into practical, testable implementation. Through structured instruction and live simulation, participants examined how architectural decisions affect detection, containment, and recovery during OT security incidents.

Strong Validation of Training Relevance and Quality

Participant feedback reflected high confidence in both the relevance of the content and the effectiveness of delivery. Attendees consistently highlighted the practical orientation of the session, the credibility of the trainer, and the clear linkage between architectural design and operational risk.

The absence of negative feedback underscored strong alignment between the training objectives and practitioner expectations across varying levels of OT maturity.

From Architecture to Operational Action

A defining element of the session was its emphasis on applicability. Live simulation exercises allowed participants to stress-test Purdue-aligned architectures against realistic attack paths, engineering constraints, and operational realities.

Participants reported that insights gained during the session could be directly applied to:

• Reviewing and refining zone-and-conduit designs

• Identifying architectural blind spots and segmentation weaknesses

• Strengthening OT incident response plans and tabletop exercises

• Improving collaboration between engineering, IT, and cybersecurity teams

By testing assumptions in a simulated environment, participants were able to move from static design models to defensible, operationally grounded decisions.

Clear Demand for Continued OT Capability Development

Feedback also indicated strong interest in ongoing and near-term training opportunities. Practitioners expressed the view that OT capability development must be continuous, evolving alongside changing threat conditions and operational environments.

Priority areas identified for future training include OT incident response and tabletop exercises, OT threat hunting, audits and assessments, medical device security, data centre OT architecture, AI-enabled attacks in OT environments, and beginner-level OT fundamentals and executive briefings. This reinforces the need for tiered training tracks that support both foundational learning and advanced practitioner development.

Advancing Practitioner-Led Resilience

The success of the OT-ISAC x CyberXCenter training highlights the value of practitioner-led, community-driven learning models. By combining credible instruction with realistic, simulation, the session delivered tangible outcomes that participants can apply within their own environments.

As OT-ISAC continues to expand its training program, future sessions will build on this approach—scaling structured, practical, and tiered learning experiences that strengthen operational resilience across critical infrastructure sectors.

This training represents another step in OT-ISAC’s ongoing commitment to enabling actionable learning and collective defense through trusted collaboration.