About
Concept & Methodology
Overall Concept
CYberSynchrony is a Modular Cybersecurity Framework (MCF) that includes people, processes, and culture proposing an ecosystem that integrates innovative technologies in order to achieve a more robust, resilient, and interconnected cybersecurity infrastructure. This framework considers all aspects of an organization’s security, encompassing technological solutions, the involvement of people, well-defined processes, and a security-focused culture. CYberSynchrony streamlines incident response coordination to contribute to better preparedness for cyber incidents and crises while enhancing mutual assistance efforts in order to offer efficient incident response to quickly and effectively address cyber incidents. CYberSynchrony implements state-of-the-art threat intelligence platforms to improve threat assessment capabilities while leveraging advanced threat intelligence to enhance the early detection and mitigation of cyber threats. CYberSynchrony deploys advanced cybersecurity analytics tools to strengthen risk monitoring services and will apply risk monitoring to enable proactive detection and mitigation of cyber incidents. CYberSynchrony facilitates cross-border cyber exercises to foster collaboration and mutual assistance among MS and it establishes secure communication channels will enable smoother information exchange during mutual assistance efforts while offering greater collaboration and knowledge sharing will strengthen mutual assistance initiatives, develop realistic cross-border cyber exercises to prepare MS for mutual assistance in large-scale cyber incidents and improve communication to enhance coordination and collaboration during mutual assistance efforts.
CYberSynchrony proposes a comprehensive modular framework, integrating cutting-edge technologies with a focus on people, processes, and a security-centric culture, aiming to bolster a robust cybersecurity infrastructure and enhance incident response, threat assessment, risk monitoring, and cross-border collaboration among Member States. CYberSynchrony promises stakeholders enhanced security, streamlined efficiency, greater collaboration, a culture of cyber awareness, consistent regulatory compliance, and flexible solutions adaptable to evolving cyber challenges.
CYberSynchrony Methodology
The comprehensive execution strategy of the project is designed to leverage the strengths of the involved organizations and prioritize the project’s anticipated results, emphasizing end-user engagement. Essentially, being a DEP project, CYberSynchrony will transition its emphasis from research and development efforts towards facilitating collaboration among MS. This will be achieved using cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, enhancing understanding, and evaluating the cybersecurity readiness MS. In particular, CYberSynchrony’s dynamic ecosystem consists of a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity modules, each tailored to specific needs. The CYRESCUE module centres on bolstering incident response capabilities and ensuring resilience against potential cyber threats.
Figure 1: CYberSynchrony high-level view
CYBERRA is dedicated to gathering threat intelligence and performing in-depth risk analysis, equipping organizations with valuable insights about potential threats. CYBRITE emphasizes a dual approach, offering proactive risk monitoring while also being ready to tackle incidents as they arise. On a global scale, CROSS-CORE paves the way for enhanced cross-border cooperation and response, ensuring that cyber threats are addressed collaboratively across nations. Recognizing the importance of education in cybersecurity, CYBERWISE dedicates itself to elevating cybersecurity awareness and imparting essential knowledge.
Lastly, CYBERGOPLUS integrates the principles of governance, compliance, and automation, streamlining operations and ensuring adherence to industry standards and best practices. This methodology positions CYberSynchrony to focus on the presence of tools equipped to function in real-world scenarios, thereby enhancing the security of MS. Achieving this goal necessitates robust collaboration with project stakeholders and ensuring CYberSynchrony’s credibility through hands-on demonstrations and training exercises. From this perspective, we can identify the subsequent project stages:
This phase delves into understanding user demands and expectations, elucidating user scenario specifics, and sculpting the toolkit's architecture. It further examines the potential legal, societal, and human dynamics that influence cybersecurity threat detection. During this phase, tools presented by partners undergo a rigorous evaluation and selection process, primarily based on a technology readiness level of 7. Interoperability, given the collaborative intent of the tools, is another key criterion.
This stage is dedicated to the blueprinting and evolution of the system components, as well as refining pre-existing tools for integration. The CYberSynchrony platform's ethos is collaborative evolution, perpetually welcoming insights and learnings from anticipated use-case collaborations with MS. An intrinsic part of this phase is to align the ecosystem's design with the ENISA Threat Landscape and other global benchmarks, offering recommendations in an easily comprehensible manner, closely linked with the project's pedagogical pursuits. The consortium's rich legacy in crafting user-centric tools, along with input from end-users and decision-makers, remains the guiding light.
Central to this phase is the realization of CYberSynchrony platform’s full operational potential, addressing the gamut of end-user cybersecurity needs. A consistent element across all phases is the emphasis on cybersecurity threat cognizance, with a distinct spotlight on training. Beyond mere assessment and validation of the platform's user-friendliness and efficacy, there's an ambitious drive to expand its adoption across MS. This ambition extends to forging a nexus of cybersecurity experts sharing intel and resources, and further solidifying the bridge between these experts and their primary clientele - the SMEs. This seeks to not only enhance user engagement but also underlines the platform’s value proposition, urging monetary contribution towards sustainable operations. The CYberSynchrony Open Call initiative seeks to bolster the integration of avantgarde cybersecurity tools and strategies into its ecosystem. This call invites SMEs, researchers, and tech developers to contribute pioneering tools and methodologies. To ensure a broad reach, the call will be promoted across various digital platforms, including the official CYberSynchrony website, industry-specific forums, and social media, providing a three-month window for submissions. Entrants will be guided by a detailed set of criteria, ensuring that contributions are innovative, feasible, scalable, and align with CYberSynchrony's overarching objectives. A dedicated committee, blending internal and external cybersecurity experts, will evaluate entries. Successful participants can anticipate not just financial support, but also invaluable mentorship from industry leaders, networking opportunities, and a platform to showcase their achievements. Post-integration, there will be a focus on continuous feedback and iteration, ensuring tools remain relevant and effective. This initiative underpins CYberSynchrony's commitment to fostering innovation and maintaining its position at the forefront of cybersecurity solutions.