CYBER-DEFENCE FELLOWSHIPS: Maxime Bourassa

• How did you find out about the CYD Fellowships and what motivated you to apply?

I first heard about the CYD fellowship program from e-mails sent to EPFL cybersecurity students. After looking through the projects proposed by the CYD Campus I found one that nicely bridged my interests and my skills and decided to contact my potential supervisor. After discussing it together we agreed that the CYD Master Fellowship would be the best way for me to fund the project for my thesis.

• What was your CYD Fellowship project about?

My project is about traffic obfuscation of Wide-Area Networks (WAN). The goal is to build upon Ditto, an approach developed by M. Roland Meier, another CYD researcher, to increase its technology readiness level. I am also testing the solution on the CYD networks between its sites to evaluate its performance and security.

• What were the advantages of conducting your master thesis project at the CYD Campus?

At the CYD Campus you get access to a lot of resources to conduct your research and a lot of flexibility. Your supervisors guide you, but also let you decide where you want your project to go and how to get there. Being around many other researchers lets you connect and hear about other projects they are conducting. This exchange of ideas contributes to everyone delivering better projects and helping each other.

• Did you as a child dream of working in cyber-defence?

Although I was always interested in IT, I only developed my interest for cybersecurity during my first internship in my bachelor. I then decided to change the subject I was studying from Electrical Engineering to Cybersecurity which eventually led me to join the CYD Campus as part of the Fellowship program.

• What is driving you to pursue research in cyber-defence?

Cyber-defence is a fast evolving field that I personally find fascinating. Although we deal with a lot of abstract concepts, we are trying to solve very practical problems that can directly impact our daily lives. As a young researcher, I find the opportunities to make significant contributions to the field exciting.

• What is the most important lesson you have learned in your scientific career so far?

The most important lesson I have learned so far is to not be afraid to ask for advice around you. Whether it be with colleagues or friends, a simple discussion can go a long way to giving you new ideas or approaches to solve your problems. As a researcher you should always keep an open mind and be ready to be challenged by your peers.

• What are you most proud of in your career to date?

I am proud of having built a tool-set that allows me to tackle new problems effectively. In the field of cyber-defence, you are faced with new problems every day that may not have a solution yet. Although it is never easy, I am proud of being able to learn new tools, discover new concepts, or to adapt to new problems and develop suitable solutions.

• Outside the lab, what do you enjoy doing most?

I enjoy being outside, doing sports, and occasionally reading a book. I have recently started to go running more often, and I am looking forward to doing some trail running this Summer.

• What were your expectations about the CYD Fellowships?

I expected to be faced with hard and exciting problems and to be able to have access to the resources of the CYD Campus to tackle them. I also expected to learn from other researchers around me and to have a better grasp on my subject, but also on how to conduct good research at the end of the Fellowship.

• Could you share some tips with future applicants who are considering applying for the CYD Fellowships?

I suggest to contact potential supervisors directly to discuss about existing project proposals or to propose some new projects yourself. In my case, everyone was very helpful and gave me good advice, which allowed me to submit a strong application and to be awarded a Fellowship.