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A Modular and Flexible OPC UA Testbed Prototype for Cybersecurity Research

Authors:
Sebastian Kraust
Peter Heller
Jürgen Mottok

Keywords: testbed; OPC UA; cybersecurity; penetration testing.

Abstract:
The security assessment of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) is becoming increasingly challenging due to their growing complexity and interconnectivity. Traditional penetration testing is often impractical in live environments due to the risk of operational disruption, making testbeds essential for evaluating security mechanisms, analyzing threats, and developing defense strategies. However, existing testbeds tend to be static and difficult to quickly adapt to a wide variety of scenarios. To address these limitations, we propose a modular and flexible ICS testbed that enables rapid reconfiguration of the testbed composition in order to test a wide variety of scenarios. Our open-source approach leverages containerized applications as building blocks, allowing users to create and modify the testbed with minimal effort. We show how to use the provided components to construct testbeds and how our approach can be used as a tool for accommodating penetration tests.

Pages: 105 to 111

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2025

Publication date: October 26, 2025

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2162-2116

ISBN: 978-1-68558-306-4

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from October 26, 2025 to October 30, 2025