Please join us for the Cybersecurity Essentials for Utilities seminar on Wednesday, Aug. 26 & Thursday, Aug. 27.
This two-day, in-person, course introduces the basics of cybersecurity in a practical, easy-to-understand way. It focuses on the most common risks organizations face and the key steps organizations can take to help protect sensitive information.
Instead of technical jargon or complex systems, the course emphasizes real-world examples and hands‑on demonstrations to show how cyberattacks occur and how they can be prevented. The content is based on the most frequent vulnerabilities identified through hundreds of industry security assessments.
Participants will learn the most important actions that significantly improve an organization’s security, a set of essential “Atomic Controls.” The training is designed to be relevant to everyday work, helping staff recognize threats, follow best practices and contribute to a safer workplace without needing an IT background.
Agenda
Day 1
Section 1:
A Gentle, Caring Intro To Security
Compliance and the Critical Controls
Application Allow Listing
Lab: AppLocker – Intro
Lab: AppLocker – Walkthrough
Break
Password Controls
Lab: Password Cracking & Spraying - Intro
Lab: Password Cracking & Spraying - Walkthrough
Lunch
Section 2:
Egress Traffic Analysis
Lab: Zeek-RITA - Intro
Lab: Zeek-RITA - Walkthrough
Break
User Entity Behavior Analytics
Lab: DeepBlueCLI & Domain Log Review - Intro
Lab: DeepBlue CLI & Domain Log Review - Walkthrough
Adventures in just enabling proper Windows Event Logging
Day2
Section 3:
Lab: Sysmon - Intro
Lab: Sysmon - Walkthrough
Advanced Endpoint Protection
Lab: Atomic Red Team and Bluespawn - Intro
Lab: Atomic Red Team and Bluespawn - Walkthrough
Break
Threat Emulation
Host Firewalls
Lab: Host Firewalls and Nmap - Intro
Lunch
Section 4:
Lab: Host Firewalls and Nmap - Walkthrough
Internet Allow Listing
Vulnerability Management
Lab: Web Testing - Intro
Lab: Web Testing – Walkthrough
Break
Getting Caught - Key Takeaways
Active Directory Hardening
Lab: Ping Castle & PlumHound - Intro
Lab: Ping Castle & PlumHound - Walkthrough
Final Thoughts
For the hands-on lab exercises, please bring a laptop computer with a modern web browser (such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari) installed.
Who Should Attend?
- Utility leadership
- Operations Staff
- IT Staff
- Any employee looking to increase their knowledge of system security
Lodging
We encourage you to make your hotel reservations using our link below to access our discounted rate!
Lodging is not included in the fee. MRES has arranged group rate lodging at the Holiday Inn Express, right next to the MRES office:
Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Book Now!
3821 W Avera Dr
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
Phone: 605-338-8585
Rates are $110 for a standard queen or king room. Taxes and fees are additional.
Please contact us at info@mrenergy.com or call 605-338-4042 with questions.
John Strand
John Strand has both consulted and taught hundreds of organizations on security, regulatory compliance, and penetration testing. He is a coveted speaker and much-loved SANS teacher. John is a contributor to the industry-shaping Penetration Testing Execution Standard and 20 Critical Controls frameworks.
Doc Blackburn
Doc Blackburn is a seasoned cybersecurity instructor with decades of experience in IT, security and compliance. Over his career, he has worked in many areas of IT, including systems administration, programming, network design, cloud services, web development and risk management, bringing a broad technical foundation to his teaching. For more than 13 years, Doc has trained students and professionals to understand, implement and maintain effective security practices, drawing on real-world consulting experience in compliance frameworks such as NIST SP 800-171, CIS Critical Controls, and MITRE ATT&CK. Known for making complex concepts accessible to all audiences, he blends technical depth with practical insights, preparing learners to address today’s evolving cyber threats.
Registration
Seminar Cost: $99 per person. (Includes lunches and a dinner.)
Registration Due Date: By Friday, August 7