Step into the future of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 with the Minor in Industrial Cyber Security!
Are you fascinated by both cybersecurity and industrial technology? This minor offers you the chance to explore the fast-growing field where IT, OT, and automation come together. As factories, smart systems, and critical infrastructures become more digital and connected, protecting them against cyber threats is more important than ever

This minor introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Cyber Security for Smart Industrial systems, an essential domain within Industry 4.0 and 5.0. As industrial systems become increasingly digital, connected, and automated, the security of Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) is of critical importance. Industrial Cyber Security ensures that production environments, products, and services remain resilient against cyber threats, while enabling safe, flexible, and real-time operations.  

Manufacturers and organizations are rapidly digitalizing, but this transformation also brings new risks: ransomware, cyber-physical attacks, sabotage of industrial processes, and supply chain vulnerabilities. Therefore, there is a growing need for professionals who can work on the boundary of ICT, industrial automation, and security engineering. 
 
The interdisciplinary field of Industrial Cyber Security spans multiple key technologies and domains such as: 
- Network Security & Segmentation: Protecting industrial networks (IT/OT convergence, SCADA, PLCs). 
- IoT & Edge Security: Securing sensors, actuators, embedded devices and industrial data in industrial environments. 
-  Resilience & Safety: Designing robust systems that remain operational under cyber-attack scenarios. 

The primary focus of the minor is real-life projects in collaboration with companies and research groups. To support students in these projects, various workshops, expertise, exercises, and coaching will be provided. Expertise will be provided by the ICT department, Engineering department and partner companies based on demand.  

The structure includes:  

1. Dedicated workshops to speed up the learning on Network, Basic IT Security, Data Security, Industrial Automation and OT Fundamentals.  
2. Dedicated Advanced workshops on IoT, Infrastructure, ICS/OT Cybersecurity, OT network protocols, Purdue model and relevant standards  
3. Workshops/ expert sessions on demand in the range of the above topics and broader in the field covered by the minor. Some of the workshops could be organized in cooperation with, for instance, the Cyber security ICT program, Smart Industry ICT program, Industrial Automation at Fontys Engineering.  

This program is designed for students who are curious about both technology and industry. If you’re interested in how cybersecurity protects factories, smart systems, and critical infrastructures, and you want to combine IT with real-world industrial applications, this minor is for you.

All study materials will be shared with student via Canvas.

3 days a week at the Fontys ICT Eindhoven location.

Minor Regulation
You can download the minor regulation here. The purpose of the minor regulation is to inform you about what you will learn as a student in the minor, how the assessment works, and when you have completed the minor. Students can derive rights from the minor regulation.

In this minor, the assessment is based on the individual development and performance of each student throughout the semester. Students define, select, and plan their own learning and research activities with the aim of demonstrating substantiated growth in the learning outcomes. This takes place within the context of group projects, individual projects, challenges, and workshops. Justification and evidence for activities and results are regularly recorded in the student’s portfolio, along with reflections on progress and the learning process.

Teachers and experts frequently engage in the learning process to ensure that students are on the right track. During the semester (week 1 to week 18), several formative assessment moments take place, during which the growth documented in the portfolio is reviewed by the student’s coaches in collaboration with the student and accompanied by feedback. Growth on the learning outcomes, as determined during a formative assessment, is recorded in Canvas using the development-oriented feedback scale: Undefined, Orienting, Beginning, Proficient, Advanced.

In week 20, the integral summative assessment of the semester is carried out at the assessors’ meeting for the 30 ECTS of the study unit. The integral summative assessment at the end of the semester is expressed using the USGO scale (Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Good, and Outstanding). Due to the formative and integral nature of the assessment, there is no possibility for a formal retake. If the final grade of Unsatisfactory is given, the semester is considered failed.