Politecnico di Milano

MSc in Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance

Bocconi University and Politecnico di Milano have assembled a dynamic and multi-disciplinary community of researchers, experts, and professors who study, analyze and apply strategies, governance, and assessment tools of cyber risk. The challenging study program they have devised addresses the key cyber-related matters faced by all types of organizations, every day.

The Master of Science in Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance gives students the tools required to understand, assess, and govern the opportunities and threats of the existing and emerging technologies used in our society. As innovative technologies are adopted, new issues arise, so students learn to look ahead, evaluate, and communicate threats before they unfold.

These prospective professionals will thus be in a position to make a major contribution to intercepting cyber risks and preventing negative impact on the performance of organizations, both private and public.

The program is highly interdisciplinary, by necessity, considering that computer technology increasingly affects almost every facet of modern life. It combines technical elements of computer science and analytical methods with a range of topics in the social sciences: management, economics, finance law, social engineering, ethics, and behavioral skills.

Applicants should ideally have multidisciplinary backgrounds. Whether their undergraduate degree is in computer science, engineering, management, or economics, it is useful to have studied a broad range of subjects and, of course, to have an interest in the prevention of and response to cyber risks.

In particular, the program aims at:

• Providing solid preparation in the areas of the cyber risk assessment to identify potential vulnerability challenges that might affect the functioning and performance of any organization.
• Offering multi-faceted preparation with specialized skills to tackle cyber risks from multiple and unusual perspectives.
• Developing a profile blending in-depth knowledge of technical cyber issues with competencies in the social sciences that enable relations with all levels of any organization, in order to influence strategic decisions and implementation of actions to mitigate cyber risks.

Mission and Goals

Two of Italy’s most prestigious universities, Bocconi and Politecnico di Milano, have joint forces to prepare a new category of professionals in the field of cyber risk. The two-year program, entirely taught in English, is based on a complementary blend of their strengths: Politecnico provides top-flight technological training, while Bocconi shares its expertise on the strategic and economic fronts.

It brings together several key knowledge areas to govern cyber risk. Firstly, it offers technical competencies in the fields of computer science and technology, crucial to a deep understanding of the cyber world. Then it reviews managerial, legal and economic principles to place cyber risk into context. Students also practice the soft skills required to communicate cyber challenges.