Welcome to the chaire cyberCNI.fr!
Welcome to the chaire cyberCNI.fr! The chaire Cybersecurity for Critical Networked Infrastructures (Cyber CNI) is an industrial research chair led by Prof. Dr. Marc-Oliver Pahl.
The chair is the biggest industrial research chair on cybersecurity in France. It was founded in 2016. The chair published more than 200 publications and participated in hundreds of events around cybersecurity worldwide. The funding is more than 5 MEUR with more than 16 partners over time. The chair is proud to having “produced” 18 PhDs and features 6 PostDocs until 2025. We are counting.
Over the time, the following partners supported the chair: Airbus, Amossys, BNP Paribas, EDF, Orange, La Poste, Nokia Bell Labs, Société Génerale, SNCF, Région Bretagne, Pôle d’Excellence Cyber, COMCYBER, Fondation Mines-Télécom, Insitut Mines Télécom, IMT Atlantique, Télécom Paris, Télécom SudParis.
Critical National Infrastructures (CNI) form the backbone of modern societies, encompassing industrial control systems, financial networks, transportation, energy distribution, and essential public services such as water treatment. Ensuring the cybersecurity of these infrastructures is paramount, given their increasing digitalization, connectivity, and exposure to sophisticated cyber threats. The Cyber CNI Chair at IMT Atlantique is dedicated to advancing research, fostering innovation, and developing educational programs that address the security challenges faced by these vital systems.
Our research spans the entire technological stack, from the lowest-level sensors and actuators that interact with physical processes to industrial control systems (ICS), distributed edge and cloud services, and user interfaces incorporating collaborative Mixed Reality. Additionally, we focus on security policies that govern and safeguard these complex environments.
Key Research Themes
- Collaborative Threat Detection and Mitigation:
We explore new paradigms for collective defense, enabling multiple actors within critical infrastructures to share intelligence and coordinate responses against cyber threats in real time. - Side-Channel-Based Anomaly Detection:
Our research investigates unconventional detection techniques using sound and electrical current signatures to identify anomalies in industrial systems, enabling early warning mechanisms against cyber-physical attacks. - Immersive Next-Generation Interfaces for Cybersecurity:
We develop interactive and immersive interfaces utilizing Mixed Reality to enhance situational awareness, facilitate security training, and improve operator decision-making in complex cybersecurity scenarios. - Security-by-Design for Industrial Systems:
We emphasize secure software life-cycle management and the protection of software supply chains to prevent vulnerabilities in the development and deployment of industrial applications. - Modeling and Testing with Honeypots and Digital Twins:
We design honeypots and digital twins to simulate cyberattacks on industrial systems, gaining insights into attacker behaviors while improving defensive capabilities. - Generative AI in Disinformation and Cybersecurity:
The potential of Generative AI for cyber threats is a growing concern. We investigate its role in disinformation creation, dissemination, and detection, contributing to the development of advanced countermeasures.
Impact and Vision
By bridging academia and industry, the Cyber CNI Chair at IMT Atlantique aims to develop cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, influence security policies, and train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Our interdisciplinary approach ensures that research findings are both theoretically robust and practically applicable to real-world industrial environments.
This initiative contributes to the resilience of critical infrastructures by anticipating emerging threats, designing proactive defenses, and fostering collaboration across multiple stakeholders. As cyber risks continue to evolve, the Cyber CNI Chair remains committed to securing the digital foundations of modern society.
Find out more about:
Participate at our monthly cybersecurity speaker series talk.cybercni.fr!
The chaire CyberCNI is a chair of the IMT. It is spatially distributed between IMT Atlantiqu (Rennes and Brest), Télécom Paris, Télécom SudParis.
