The Grand Challenges (Grand Défis) are an initiative from the french government to call for and support financially projects from the industry that: require recognized R&D innovation, address a societal problem having a wide impact, have a demonstrated commercial future, and have the potential to be supported by and to federate an active R&D community. The Cybersecurity Grand Challenge (Grand Défi Cyber-sécurité) aims at improving the situation with regard to the ever increasing number and complexity of cyberattacks against the digital systems that support all aspects of our daily lives. The approach addressed by this challenge is the automation of cybersecurity. This talk will address the aspects that led to the roadmap of the Cybersecurity Grand Challenge, the mechanisms put in place, the various responses that were obtained, the aspects that remain unaddressed and the prospects for the Grand Challenge and the National Strategy.

Since march 2021, William LECAT is the coordinator of the national cybersecurity strategy (Stratégie Nationale de Cybersécurité) inside one of the main national investment programs (Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir). He was the director of the cybersecurity grand challenge (Grand Défi cyber) for one of the main investment state department (Secrétariat Général pour l’Investissement). Inside the French military procurement agency (DGA), he has assumed the positions of lead manager of a team of 30 engineers working on cybersecurity software development and deputy to the director of cybersecurity. He holds a Master of Science from Ecole Polytechnique and another one in Information Security from GeorgiaTech.