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McGill’s School of Information Studies Master’s program (https://www.mcgill.ca/sis/home) is seeking Course Lecturer to teach INFS 677: OT Security and Industrial Control Systems course for Winter 2027.

INFS 677: OT Security and Industrial Control Systems

Responsibility: 

Teach an in-person course in OT security and industrial control systems. 3-hour lecture time per week. Duties include:

• Preparing teaching materials, slides, quizzes, assignments, interactive lab activities, projects, and exams.
• Holding office hours to answer students’ questions,
• Guiding students to complete assignments and projects.
• Grading.

The Course Lecturer has the flexibility to define the components in the grading scheme. The interactive lab activities will be created and delivered by a third-party services provider. The Course Lecturer has to provide guidance to the students to complete the lab activities.

Requirements: 

• A Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity.

• At least 3 years of industrial experience in cybersecurity and hands-on machine learning-based cyber defense operations, including threat hunting.
• At least 3 years of experience in developing cyber operations training lab activities.
• At least 3 years of teaching experience in control system security and system exploitation.
• At least 1 year of teaching experience in malware detection.
• Previous experience in developing training programs in cybersecurity.
• Excellent communication skills.

Course rationale:

The design rationale is grounded in the urgent need to address vulnerabilities within operational technology and industrial control systems, ensuring resilience in domains such as smart grids and manufacturing plants. With the increasing integration of industrial systems into digital networks, this course aims to equip students with specialized knowledge in safeguarding critical infrastructures such as SCADA systems and PLCs. By emphasizing threat identification, risk mitigation strategies, and incident response protocols specific to OT/ICS, the curriculum ensures a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and effective countermeasures. Moreover, by incorporating the integration of IT and OT security approaches, the program prepares students to bridge the gap between traditional IT security practices and the specialized demands of industrial control systems.

Course description:

This course focuses on the unique security challenges and best practices associated with operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS). Students will learn about the critical components of OT and ICS environments, such as SCADA systems, PLCs, and other industrial devices. They will explore the potential risks and vulnerabilities in these systems and develop strategies for securing them against cyber threats. Additionally, the course will cover methods for monitoring, detecting, and responding to incidents in OT/ICS environments, as well as the integration of IT and OT security strategies within organizations. (Prerequisite: INFS 683)

Course topics:

• Introduction to Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS)
• Understanding SCADA Systems and their Functionality
• Vulnerability Analysis of PLCs and Industrial Devices
• Threat Landscape in OT/ICS Environments

Hiring Unit: School of Information Studies
Course Title: INFS 677: OT Security and Industrial Control Systems
Course Credits: 3 credits course
Schedule: Wednesday 5:35 pm-08:25 pm
Location: EDUC 624
Salary: $ 11, 824.00

Please note the Faculty of Arts has standardized Course Lecturer contract start and end dates: the course lecturer contract will be from January 5, 2027, to May 7, 2027, inclusively. Please keep in mind the course start and end dates will not follow the contract dates. 

Salary will be commensurate with the salary scale for Course Lecturers, as described in the McGill Course Lecturers and Instructors Union Collective Agreement (https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/files/hr/mcliu_collective_agreement_-_final_version_for_printing_0.pdf).

McGill University is committed to equity in employment and diversity. It welcomes applications from indigenous peoples, visible minorities, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, women, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities and others who may contribute to further diversification.

The language of instruction at McGill is English, but a working knowledge of French would be an asset.