
At this year’s Innovation Day of HTL Rennweg, the diploma project FENRIR was presented – an impressive example of modern, hands-on education in the field of Industrial Cybersecurity.
IKARUS supported the project as main sponsor and technical partner, and is proud to actively promote young talents on their journey into the future of cybersecurity.
The dedicated student team – David Koch, Bastian Uhlig, Julian Burger, and Gabriel Vogler – developed a model wastewater treatment plant featuring realistic OT, Industrial DMZ, and IT architecture. For their technical execution and commitment, the team was awarded 3rd place in the 40 Seconds school project competition – a remarkable achievement given the number of strong submissions.
FENRIR – Securing Tomorrow’s Industrial Networks
In the FENRIR project, a network topology for a model wastewater treatment plant was designed, consisting of OT, DMZ, and IT segments. Initially, the system was deliberately operated without security measures to expose vulnerabilities and assess risks. This was followed by a systematic hardening using state-of-the-art security technologies – including the proven OT security solution Guardian by Nozomi Networks, which also provides visibility and protection in productive environments.
Particularly noteworthy is the project’s alignment with current requirements such as the EU NIS2 directive and international standards like IEC 62443. It clearly demonstrates how industrial networks can already be implemented securely and in compliance with standards – even in an educational setting.
IKARUS as an Active Project Partner
The IKARUS team was involved in many aspects of the project:
- Herbert Dirnberger, Head of the Industrial Cybersecurity Portfolio, mentored the project from the very beginning.
- Joe Pichlmayr, CEO of IKARUS, served as a bridge to Cyber Security Austria.
- Julia Gattringer, HR Manager at IKARUS, is a passionate advocate for talent development – FENRIR clearly showcases the value of real-world learning.
- Josip Juric, Junior OT Security Engineer, actively supported the team with SCADA integration, network planning, and securing the system.
The project team was further supported by Sebastian Erler and Oliver Feiler from our technology partner Nozomi Networks.
Live Presentation at the IKT Security Conference 2025
FENRIR will be presented live together with the student team at the IKT Security Conference on June 25–26, 2025 at Messe Dornbirn.
Congratulations to the entire team – for their expertise, dedication, and strong team spirit! Our special thanks also go to Prof. Schöndorfer and the HTL Rennweg school administration for the excellent collaboration.