Google Canada to donate $1.3 million to Polytechnique Montreal's cybersecurity institute

File - This photo, in New York, taken Sept. 11, 2023, shows various Google logos when searched on Google. If government regulators prevail in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century, it's likely to unleash drastic changes designed to undermining the dominance of the Google search engine that defines the internet for billions of people. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Google Canada announced it will donate $1.3 million to the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2), created by Polytechnique Montréal in partnership with Université de Montréal and HEC Montréal.

Google Canada's contribution to the research institute, created eight months ago, aims to "support research into cyber risks, which are growing worldwide."

The announcement was made Thursday morning at a press conference at Google's Montreal offices.

"By supporting IMC2, Google recognizes the urgency of digital security," said Isabelle Péan, president and CEO of the Fondation de Polytechnique, at a press conference.

François Bertrand, Director of Research and Innovation at Polytechnique Montréal, said that thanks to Google, "we can offer our professors and researchers ever more resources, enabling them to explore new avenues conducive to the emergence of innovations."

Google has also announced that it will enable French speakers to take the "Google Cybersecurity Certificate" in their native language. According to Google, this online course will prepare "learners for entry-level jobs in cybersecurity in less than six months."

According to the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience, "the global costs of cybercrime are expected to reach US$10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Ransomware alone will cost victims around US$265 billion a year by 2031."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 25, 2024.