Cyber security has always been a priority for Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), which is why we pay a lot of attention to it. We are pleased to announce that the international cooperation project SOCCER in the field of cybersecurity has been launched and MRU has joined it.

SOCCER means Security Operation Center in the Central Europe Region. One of its main objectives is to develop Security Operations Centres (SOCs) in such a way that universities, students and staff have access to a safe and secure cyberspace. The project is funded by the project partners and the European Union's Digital Europe programme. The three-year project brings together nine partners from five countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia and Lithuania).

SOCCER mission is to fortify the academic sector’s defense against cyber threats, acting as the strategic goalkeeper for intellectual capital, research integrity, and student privacy.

Each project goal represents a concrete and calculated step towards creating a strong defense mechanism that can withstand even sophisticated cyber threats and attacks. Project goals are:

1. Developing of SOCs and SOCs capabilities within the SOCCER consortium. This initiative promises better monitoring, detection, and response to cyber-attacks, safeguarding the personal data, intellectual property, and critical technologies of students, employees, and scientists.

2. Supporting SOC preparedness. By preparing educational material this initiative ensures that academic institutions are proactive in their readiness against cyber threats.

3. Establishing an information & CTI sharing ecosystem. SOCCER establishes a information and Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) sharing ecosystem across the academic sector in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), leveraging vulnerability databases.

4. SOC4Academia Toolbox. The creation of the SOC4Academia Toolbox for disseminating knowledge about SOC development, deployment, and functioning. This toolbox provides models for SOC services deployment and integration, fostering a collective understanding of best practices.

5. Integration and Cooperation with Global Entities. SOCCER takes the initiative in fostering integration and cooperation, not just within its consortium but also with Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), European, and international structures.

6. Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Innovation. SOCCER embraces Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques to innovate and elevate the detection of malicious cyber activities.

Each project poses new challenges and obstacles to overcome, but we are happy to cooperate with like-minded people from different countries for common goals and work towards a common vision to strengthen the protection of the academic sector against cyber threats.