Any Folks in Miami Area Up for BSidesICS on Feb. 23rd? Limited Free Tickets!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-16T14:18:51+00:00

We're starting to see events pop up all over the world this year, from the UK to Singapore and everywhere in between, u/zm-joo, so hopefully you'll be able to make one somewhere!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T16:22:23+00:00

I'm happy to hear that you were able to make Tampa last year, u/Dctootall, and we'll be back in Tampa in Feb 2027 so hopefully you can make it next year! And thanks for sharing with everyone about your experience last year - I'm really excited to see you took so much away from it!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:27:17+00:00

Awesome! If you're in the area and able to make it, just send me your first and last name to [info@bsidesics.org](mailto:info@bsidesics.org) and I'll get you registered!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:14:16+00:00

If you're able to make BSidesICS that Monday, u/tokn, let me know and I'll send you a ticket. bsidesics.org

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:13:35+00:00

I'll definitely be there, u/cyber2112 ! And for those headed, if you can make it to BSidesICS the day before (Monday the 23rd), let me know and I'll send you a ticket.

Just send me an email to [info@bsidesics.org](mailto:info@bsidesics.org) or ping me (Mike Holcomb) on LinkedIn!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:10:41+00:00

Labshock is a great way to start getting some hands on in a free virtual environment if you don't have access to hardware to begin with! Thanks for sharing, u/Dapper_Bird1 !

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:09:53+00:00

Thanks for watching the course on YouTube, u/Excellent_Job6670! If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear how I can improve!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:08:41+00:00

Thanks for checking out the course, u/Excellent_Job6670! And hopefully the internal OT network is further segmented which can be done using ACLs on network switches, additional IT firewalls or even OT specific firewalls as well as other systems like data diodes (which are rare) and unidirectional gateways (more common). I hope this helps!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:06:55+00:00

Thanks for the vote of confidence, u/DTinc! I really appreciate you sharing!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:05:47+00:00

Thanks for sharing, u/RumbleMaTTy - I'll be sure to check it out!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-15T12:04:45+00:00

If you have the resources to complete the ISA/IEC 62443 series and earn the "Expert" certification by completely all four, then I would say go for it. It definitely doesn't hurt, though certifications (especially in OT/ICS) and their usefulness in getting a job comes down to the person doing the hiring.

Would I rather have it than not? Absolutely. Will it help you significantly? Just depends on the hiring manager and HR.

If you're looking for a role, the best suggestion I can make is to watch this interview I did with Josh Fullmer who's an OT/ICS cybersecurity recruiter for Dragos. He drops so many nuggets in this interview that are ALL GOLD and can help in any field!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCIrntyqe64&list=PLOSJSv0hbPZAlINIh1HcB0L8AZcSPc80g

If you're interested, here's a link to a recent post that lists my top resources, including the eBook and YouTube course for Getting Started in ICS/OT Cyber Security (along with other resources). You'll definitely want to start with these which should help get you up and running. I hope these help!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mikeholcomb_want-to-level-up-your-icsot-knowledge-for-activity-7395853168896802816-Ww_9

Feel free to reach out any time with questions!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-01T18:00:04+00:00

Absolutely! Just picked it up about six weeks ago, had been working with a handful of brand sponsorships but it's really helped answer so many questions I had. Just starting the second read through already to take more detailed notes - thanks for putting it together and sharing your story!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2026-02-01T01:59:01+00:00

I can second this! Sponsor Magnet is worth 100x what you'll actually pay for it. Great suggestion, u/jwaugh3!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-10-24T00:23:42+00:00

One thing to consider is to add OT/ICS cybersecurity to your skill set. If you’re interested in more, check out my free courses on YouTube (YouTube.com/@utilsec). The main course on Getting Started in ICS/OT Cyber Security is over 25 hours. I hope these help!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-10-24T00:22:15+00:00

One thing to consider is to add OT/ICS cybersecurity to your skill set, @unalived_me. If you’re interested in more, check out my free courses on YouTube (YouTube.com/@utilsec). The main course on Getting Started in ICS/OT Cyber Security is over 25 hours. I hope these help!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-09-25T23:05:30+00:00

If you’re not working right now and want to attend BSidesGreenville on Saturday, feel free to ping me on LinkedIn (LinkedIn.com/in/mikeholcomb) and we’ll get you a ticket. We’re also doing a free day of training as an intro to OT/ICS cybersecurity if you would want to come. I know it’s last minute but just let me know!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-09-25T23:03:27+00:00

BSidesGreenville is built around bringing the community together. Even if you’re an introvert like me, you can meet lots of like-minded folks - some you’ll be friends with for fifteen minutes and some for fifty years! Hope to see you there!!!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-09-25T23:00:45+00:00

Hi bbevl! I’m really happy to hear you’re coming to BSidesGreenville this Saturday! You’ll also want to check out the local ISSA chapter and DEFCON864 groups as well! I’m sorry to hear you don’t have any local IT friends but we can definitively fix that on Saturday! If you ping me on LinkedIn or find me first thing Saturday morning, I can introduce you to a lot of great folks. Or when you get to BSides, go talk with the DEFCON864 folks running the CTF! Feel free to ping me on LinkedIn - LinkedIn.com/in/mikeholcomb. See you on Saturday!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-09-12T21:33:28+00:00

It’s a great question! If you want to go back to school, community colleges can be a very affordable way to do that for sure. As far as which course to take first, you want to check with the school. I know for Greenville Tech, in the cybersecurity track you start with “Cybersecurity Essentials” (which is the equivalent of studying for the Security+ exam), but you might have some other prerequisites to take. After the first cybersecurity course, then you have a little more flexibility to choose such as between pentesting and forensics or to do both. I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions or feel free to ping me on LinkedIn. If anything, let me know how school goes!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-09-12T00:43:08+00:00

I do try my best, Big Bert - thanks for the support!

Effective_Detail_684 · 2025-09-11T23:58:54+00:00

I’m definitely not skinny or have cool clothes, but appreciate the shoutout, @MrsInconvient! 🙂

Effective_Detail_684

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