Doctor Portrait #7: Nicolas Pelissero

30 May 2024
interview, doctor, naval cyber chair

Nicolas Pelissero defended his thesis entitled “Analysis and Evaluation Model of Anomaly Propagation in Maritime Cyber-Physical Systems” in January 2022. He shares insights on his journey within the Chair.

What was your background before your PhD?
I joined an IT engineering school in a work-study program in Toulon and completed my apprenticeship at Naval Group (Ollioules).

Why did you choose to specialize in cybersecurity?
In short, it was both a desire to deepen my understanding of IT security, an opportunity to pursue further studies, and a chance to advance my professional career—all within the maritime domain, which I found (and still find!) particularly fascinating and challenging.

What were the highlights of your PhD?
If I had to pick two key moments, the first would undoubtedly be my thesis defense, followed by the publication of my first scientific paper, which was quite symbolic.

What was your biggest challenge during these three years?
Like many of my colleagues who have answered this question before me, I would say the COVID period. Like everyone else, I had to quickly reorganize my work approach to meet the various deadlines of the PhD, particularly (and most importantly) the writing of the dissertation.

How did the Chair contribute to the success of your PhD?
In many ways!
First, the team at the Chair—everyone contributes to a particularly friendly and productive work environment. The diversity of backgrounds creates an enriching setting where ideas are continuously shared and discussed.

Then, the environment of the École Navale is very pleasant. You truly miss crossing the Brest harbor to get to the office once you have to switch to the usual bus/tram/metro routine.

Finally, the contributions from the Chair’s various stakeholders—École Navale, IMT, the French Navy, and industry partners—were invaluable. Each of them provided expertise and experience to help advance our research topics.

What is your current job/position?
I have been an IT internal auditor at CMA CGM for over two years now.

What do you take away from this experience in the maritime sector?
This experience has taught me a great deal, not only about the maritime and cybersecurity domains but also about how I work and analyze different challenges.

Do you have any advice for students considering a PhD at the Chair?
Don’t hesitate to apply! It’s an enriching experience in a great environment, with a fantastic supervisory team.

Learn more about Nicolas' work