Launch of the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience
May 18, 2023
HEC Montréal has teamed up with Polytechnique Montréal and Université de Montréal to create the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2). The Institute has an initial pool of 44 professors and their research teams. The new entity is committed to providing governments, citizens and businesses in Quebec and the rest of Canada with training to create a generation of skilled successors, innovation and knowledge sharing, and support for public policy-making.
IMC2 seeks to address the current challenges resulting from digital transformation that affect not only government bodies and organizations, but also our lives in general. This transformation has opened up countless security breaches that can be exploited, placing our digital sovereignty in jeopardy. To remain at the forefront in this sector, academic stakeholders in the cybersecurity ecosystem have implemented various initiatives over the years to provide support and guidance to the population in this transformation. The newly created Institute gives society the ability to launch unifying initiatives within a multidisciplinary structure that draws on complementary areas of expertise.
An open, multidisciplinary structure
Right from the start, the Institute is bringing together all available resources from the Université de Montréal campus. Frédéric Cuppens, a cybersecurity expert and Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal will be the Director of IMC2.
Executive Director responsibilities have been entrusted to Marc Gervais, renowned for solid management experience in the aerospace sector in North America and Europe.
The Institute’s Board of Directors has also appointed 3 deputy directors:
- Nora Boulahia Cuppens, Full Professor in the Polytechnique Montréal Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, will oversee research;
- Alina Maria Dulipovici, Associate Professor in the HEC Montréal Department of Information Technologies, will head the education pillar; and
- Benoît Dupont, Professor at the Université de Montréal School of Criminology and holder of the Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity, will co-ordinate public policy.
Frédéric Cuppens (credit: François Ollivier)
Marc Gervais (credit: Denis Bernier)
Alina Maria Dulipovici
Inauguration
An inaugural event to be hosted soon by Polytechnique Montréal will provide an opportunity for Canadian cybersecurity stakeholders to come together and learn more about the Institute.
HEC Montréal’s expertise in cybersecurity
HEC Montréal specialists address cybersecurity issues using management-related expertise, in areas including digital transformation, business analysis, risk management, governance, crisis management, organizational culture, and ethics. With a focus on helping businesses achieve success, they provide effective, innovative solutions adapted to the needs of companies.
HEC Montréal also offers courses in cybersecurity and related subfields, enabling undergraduate and postgraduate students to acquire robust applied training in management.
“Cybersecurity has become a strategic priority for organizations everywhere, regardless of size or industry segment. With the creation of IMC2, HEC Montréal will draw on its expertise in management sciences—be it in information technology, governance, or finance—to assist in preventing, responding to, and recovering from cybersecurity risks.”