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Cybersecurity Officer (CySO) Training

CySO Training

Prepare to Lead the Cybersecurity Officer Function with Confidence


Under the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Cybersecurity in the Marine Transportation System final rule (33 CFR Part 101, Subpart F), the Cybersecurity Officer is the accountable owner of a facility’s, vessel’s or Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) facility’s cyber posture: the Cybersecurity Assessment, the Cybersecurity Plan, incident response and reporting, and workforce training. By July 16, 2027, regulated owners and operators must designate a CySO, conduct a Cybersecurity Assessment and submit a Cybersecurity Plan to the USCG for approval.

CySO Course Overview:

This comprehensive, practitioner-focused course is designed for personnel responsible for overseeing, supporting or implementing cybersecurity measures within the Marine Transportation System (MTS). Delivered in person over a day and a half, it combines instructor-led modules, hands-on labs and a team capstone exercise so participants leave with a working understanding of what the CySO role requires and how to execute it.

 

Register Your Interest in Cybersecurity Officer (CySO) Training

What Participants Will Learn

  • Explain the CySO’s responsibilities, authorities and reporting relationships under the USCG cybersecurity rule
  • Distinguish IT and OT environments and identify the critical systems that fall within scope
  • Conduct or oversee a Cybersecurity Assessment and translate findings into a compliant Cybersecurity Plan (CSP)
  • Lead response to a cyber incident and meet the rule's reporting obligations
  • Build and sustain a personnel awareness and training program that satisfies the rule and reduces real-world risk
 

Core Course Modules

  • CySO and MTS Overview - MTS Cybersecurity Foundations
  • Critical System Security - Understanding IT and OT Environments
  • Cybersecurity Plan (CSP) - Building and Maintaining the CSP
  • Assessments, Audits and Inspections - Finding and Prioritizing Risk
  • Incident Response and Reporting - Executing the Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP)
  • Personnel Awareness and Training - Building a Security-Conscious Workforce

 

Hands-On Labs and Applied Learning

Participants reinforce each module through practical exercises, including:

  • Risk Matrix Assessment - score and prioritize real-world vulnerabilities across a sample facility or vessel
  • Cybersecurity Plan Section Review - evaluate a draft CSP section against the rule’s requirements
  • Incident Response Scenario - walk a cyber incident from detection through USCG reporting
  • Training Program Development - design an awareness and training program for a mixed IT/OT workforce

 

Capstone: Virtual Cyber Escape Room

The course concludes with a team capstone built around a virtual cyber escape room. Teams apply the full CySO workflow: detect, assess, respond and report, under time pressure, using what they’ve learned across every module. It’s collaborative, competitive and designed to be the part of the course people talk about afterward.

 

Who Should Attend

  • Designated or prospective Cybersecurity Officers and Alternate CySOs
  • Facility Security Officers, Vessel Security Officers, and Company Security Officers taking on cyber responsibilities
  • IT and OT managers at MTSA-regulated facilities, vessels and OCS facilities
  • Compliance, safety, and security leads supporting cybersecurity planning, preparedness and response

 

Training Format

  • In-person, instructor-led, small cohort
  • Interactive labs and team exercises
  • Certificate of participation provided to attendees
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