ICS/SCADA › Module 4 › Lesson 2
DNP3 OPC UA
DNP3 and OPC UA literacy names utility protocols and modern OT middleware — defensive framing only on YOUR $OT_LAB — defensive OT literacy only; no real-plant attacks, unauthorized OT scans, or exploit cookbooks.
Visual · t38_dnp3_opcua
DNP3 OPC UA literacy. $OT_LAB only. Original Cyberlium.
Opening
Utilities use DNP3; modern plants adopt OPC UA — literacy names their roles without unauthorized protocol fuzzing.
DNP3 supports outstation/master telecontrol with event buffering; OPC UA provides structured OT data exchange with security profiles. Cyberlium compares protocol roles on fictional templates — not fuzzing live outstations. Cyberlium Topic 38 practices on $OT_LAB — YOUR fictional OT templates, zone diagrams, and labeled checklists under $HOME/cyberlium-lab/t38-ot/ no real-plant attacks, unauthorized OT scans, or exploit cookbooks. Next: Protocol Risks.
1. What DNP3 OPC UA covers (named)
DNP3 literacy: outstation, master, integrity/authentication options in modern deployments. OPC UA literacy: address space, certificates, security policies, IT/OT middleware. On $OT_LAB, document literacy rows on fictional LAB-OT-001 — never live plant IPs, credentials, or exploit steps.
Write protocol comparison row — use case, security feature, monitoring point. LAB-OT-001 fictional devices only. On $OT_LAB, document literacy rows on fictional LAB-OT-001 — never live plant IPs, credentials, or exploit steps.
Command guide
Try these commands — What DNP3 OPC UA covers (named)
═══ TOOLS & WEBSITES ═══ Browse / read these (authorized learning only — stay in YOUR lab / program scope)
NIST SP 800-82 — https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-82/rev-3/final OPC Foundation — https://opcfoundation.org/
═══ INSTALL ═══
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
Command — copy this
sudo apt install python3
macOS:
Command — copy this
brew install python3
Windows: Download https://python.org/downloads/
═══ LINUX / macOS ═══
Command — copy this
export OT_LAB=${OT_LAB:-$HOME/cyberlium-lab/t38-ot}
cat > "$OT_LAB/notes/dnp3-opcua-named.txt" <<'EOF'
DNP3 literacy: outstation/master; integrity/authentication in modern stacks
OPC UA literacy: address space, certificates, security policies
Defense: certificate hygiene; conduit rules on middleware
NEVER: fuzz/live attack scripts against outstations
EOFCommand — copy this
grep -E 'DNP3|OPC UA|NEVER' "$OT_LAB/notes/dnp3-opcua-named.txt"
Primary tools to practice this lesson: grep, python3. Reference sites: NIST SP 800-82 (https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-82/rev-3/final); OPC Foundation (https://opcfoundation.org/). Run every command in the box — install first, then the usage lines — only on YOUR lab / program scope.
2. Why DNP3 OPC UA matters for defenders
Legacy plaintext protocols persist — compensating controls matter. Certificate hygiene and conduit rules defend OPC UA bridges. On $OT_LAB, document literacy rows on fictional LAB-OT-001 — never live plant IPs, credentials, or exploit steps.
Students compare protocols on lab notes. Production follows utility/vendor standards. On $OT_LAB, document literacy rows on fictional LAB-OT-001 — never live plant IPs, credentials, or exploit steps.
3. $OT_LAB boundary
Forbidden: DNP3/OPC UA attack scripts against live outstations. Allowed: DNP3/OPC UA literacy comparison card. On $OT_LAB, document literacy rows on fictional LAB-OT-001 — never live plant IPs, credentials, or exploit steps.
Ship: DNP3/OPC UA card. Next: Protocol Risks.
4. What you ship: dnp3 opc ua card for $OT_LAB
DNP3 and OPC UA literacy names utility protocols and modern OT middleware — defensive framing only. $OT_LAB named. NEVER real-plant attack steps. chmod 600.
5. What you record before the next lesson
Date (UTC). DNP3 OPC UA card. $OT_LAB named. File t38-m04-l02-dnp3-opcua.txt chmod 600.
6. Wrong vs right: plant attacks vs YOUR OT lab sims
Worked failure — same MSF word, opposite target. Right never needs a café Wi-Fi or classmate laptop.
Wrong
Fuzz live DNP3 outstation from internet-facing jump host.
Right
Write dnp3 opc ua card for YOUR $OT_LAB. Next: Protocol Risks.
Mission: document DNP3 OPC UA on YOUR OT lab
1) Name literacy rows on $OT_LAB. 2) Write NEVER list (no real-plant attacks, unauthorized OT scans, or exploit cookbooks). 3) chmod 600. Never scan or exploit real industrial networks.
Stuck? Ask Cyberlium AI Mentor
Ask Mentor: literacy on $OT_LAB — not attack recipes against live plants.
Knowledge Check
APPLY: DNP3 OPC UA on Cyberlium means:
Multiple choice
Knowledge Check
APPLY: True or False: Topic 38 includes ICS attack cookbooks against real plants.
True or False
Knowledge Check
APPLY: DNP3 OPC UA literacy on Cyberlium uses:
Multiple choice