Launch of SOCCER – against cyberattacks targetting academia

The European Commission's goal, which also includes the SOCCER project, is to establish high-end security monitoring centers throughout the Union. The centers' position and importance will be strengthened by rapidly developing technologies, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The European Commission wants single security monitoring centers – Security Operations Centers – to be established, supported, and connected at the regional, national, and EU level. The SOCCER project will increase the ability to monitor and detect cyber threats, build knowledge, and share best practices in the academic sector – especially at universities and research and technology organisations that are vulnerable to significant attacks, data leaks, or attempts to take over specific solutions emerging at universities.

Besides the AGH University, which is the project manager, the international SOCCER consortium consisting of five EU countries also includes: Jagiellonian University, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Tomas Bata University, Masaryk University, and CESNET from Czech Republic, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University from Slovakia, Mykolo Romerio Universitetas from Lithuania, Tartu University from Estonia. The development of particular security operations centers at these universities will lead to more effective monitoring, detecting, and reacting to cyberattacks, at the same time helping to protect personal data of students, employees, scientists, intellectual property rights, and key technologies. The consortium's action responds to the specific challenge related to the increase in the number and complexity of cyberattacks and cyber operations targeting the academic sector, as well as the security challenges of the Central and Eastern European region being on the front line of hybrid threats.

Within the SOCCER project, the AGH University will continue to build the infrastructure, implement the necessary software and procedures that will lead to the launch of more services protecting today's most sensitive data not only across the university, but also at Polish universities and units cooperating in the project. This will greatly accelerate the increase of the institutions’ security level and reduce costs, both staff and financial ones. The project will also provide training for employees aimed at increasing awareness of cyber threats and the ability to respond appropriately.

The Consortium's activities will also be supported by an external Expert Advisory Board, including organisations that have been developing cybersecurity tools and solutions and protecting institutions or various market sectors from cyber threats for many years, such as but not limited to: European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO), Open CSIRT Foundation (OCF), The National CSIRT of the Czech Republic (CSIRT.CZ), and IstroSec.