PCN PEP case studies
PCN PEP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The PCN PEP (Process Control Network Professional Engineering Program) is a professional credential aimed at engineers and security practitioners who design, operate, and defend industrial control networks in process industries such as refining, chemicals, power, and utilities. It sits at the intersection of operational technology (OT) engineering and cybersecurity: candidates are expected to understand how a PLC, RTU, DCS, or SCADA system actually moves data, and then reason about how to segment, monitor, and harden that traffic without breaking the process. The PCN PEP case studies are 5 cases and about 2,325 words.
1Segmenting Nine Remote Well Pads with a Two-Firewall Budget
A midstream operator has nine remote well pads, each with a legacy PLC and RTU, connected by cellular routers to a central control room. The control room has three VLANs-operations, engineering, and business-all sharing one Layer 2 switch and a single firewall to the enterprise.
535 words, about 3 min2Vendor Remote Access with a Legacy DCS and No PAM Appliance
A chemical plant operates six control systems, including a DCS that the vendor supports remotely. The current process uses a shared VPN account named vendor1 with full network access, no MFA, and session logging disabled.
481 words, about 2 min3Unauthorized PLC Program Change at 02:14
At 02:14, a SCADA alarm indicates that the program on three of twelve water-treatment PLCs has changed. No change ticket exists, and the only engineer authorized for those PLCs is on leave.
441 words, about 2 min4Windows XP HMIs Against an SL-T 2 Target
A power generation site has 18 HMIs running Windows XP SP3 that monitor and control boiler feedwater. The vendor states no patch is available and no upgrade is funded until 2027.
433 words, about 2 min5Historian Cutover with Fourteen Undocumented Firewall Rules
A utility is replacing a 20-year-old historian that stores 15 years of operational data. The old historian has 14 firewall rules allowing inbound connections from 40 clients, including business analytics, vendor support, and three engineering workstations.
435 words, about 2 min