Hacking OT Networks: A Practical Guide To Pentesting Industrial Networks

Hacking OT Networks: A Practical Guide to Pentesting Industrial Networks moves beyond isolated exploits and theoretical models to cover the messy reality of OT security. It tracks the full lifecycle of a real-world assessment, starting in the enterprise, crossing the IT/OT boundary, navigating the DMZ, and ending in the process control network.Born from hundreds of engagements across electric power, water, manufacturing, and oil & gas, this guide prioritizes tradecraft over tools. You won’t just run commands; you will learn how adversaries chain together misconfigurations, credential reuse, and weak architectures to reach critical assets without needing zero-day exploits.Crucially, this book covers the consulting side of the job, the part technical guides usually ignore. It teaches you how to scope responsibly, collaborate with plant engineers, and demonstrate risk without accidentally tripping a breaker or halting production. The goal isn't just to get access; it's to translate that access into business value.What you’ll learn:The fundamental friction between enterprise and OT pentesting.How to exploit IT/OT boundary weaknesses and remote access flaws.Safe enumeration techniques for sensitive control networks.Attack paths that mimic real adversaries without disrupting operations.Identifying "crown jewel" assets and explaining their risk to leadership.Who this is for:Pentesters transitioning to ICS environments.Red and Purple team operators.OT security engineers and defenders.Consultants working with critical infrastructure.This isn’t a checklist or a lab walkthrough. It is a methodology for operating safely in environments where cyber actions have physical consequences. Read more