As our world becomes ever more connected – from smart factories and self-driving cars to telemedicine and AI-powered devices, the security of the networks behind this connectivity becomes a critical concern. Recognizing this, researchers at the CNIT National Laboratory of Smart and Secure Networks (S2N) in Genoa, Italy, have developed a state-of-the-art testbed to explore, test and strengthen cybersecurity in Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G communication technologies. This advanced facility, described in a recent publication by Alessandro Carrega, Franco Davoli and Ramin Rabbani, is a step towards ensuring that the next generation of wireless networks are both powerful and secure. The testbed serves as a controlled environment where experts can safely simulate cyberattacks and test solutions before they are deployed in the real world. A testbed for a safer digital future The Genoa testbed combines advanced hardware and software to recreate realistic next-generation network scenarios. It can simulate entire communication systems – from antennas and base stations to user devices, within isolated “islands,” allowing researchers to run experiments without affecting other projects. What is novel in this setup, is its ability to model and test cybersecurity threats in a safe and realistic manner. Using this environment, researchers can study how attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) or API exposure (when software interfaces are exploited by hackers) could disrupt services, and it also allows researchers examine how they can be stopped. Supporting European collaboration: MARE in action The testbed is the work of several European Horizon projects, including MARE, where the testbed helps partners across Europe design and evaluate security frameworks that will make 6G networks more resilient, adaptive and trustworthy. As an example, one project tested how Artificial Intelligence could detect abnormal traffic patterns during a simulated DDoS attack. When the system detected malicious activity, it automatically reduced the impact, allowing normal network operations to continue smoothly. This kind of intelligent, automated response will be needed in defending the hyperconnected networks of the future. The physical infrastructure of the Cyber Security Testbed Real-world applications: From classrooms to hospitals Beyond research, the testbed also plays an educational and societal role. Students and industry professionals can use it to learn hands-on cybersecurity techniques for modern networks. As an example, in healthcare, the platform can help test secure communication systems for telemedicine or remote surgery, where even a brief network disruption could have serious consequences. Building trust in 6G As we move toward a future powered by 6G, ensuring that our digital infrastructure is secure, reliable and resilient is essential. The Genoa testbed, supported by MARE and other European initiatives, is not just a research tool, it is a blueprint for how Europe is leading the charge in developing trustworthy communication technologies. By simulating, studying and mitigating tomorrow’s cyber threats today, MARE and its partners are building the foundations for a safer, smarter and more connected world. Publication Details B5G/6G Cyber Security Testbed Authors: Carrega, Alessandro, Franco Davoli, and Ramin Rabbani. MARE Partner: Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni (CNIT) Publication: Way to 6G Workshop (WT6G) on 33rd International Symposium on the Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation of Computer and Telecommunication System (MASCOTS). Paris, France: IEEE, 2025. Workshop website. Abstract: The evolution of mobile communication technologies to Beyond 5G (B5G) and Sixth-Generation (6G) introduces significant advancements but also new cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This paper details the National Inter-university Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT) National Laboratory of Smart and Secure Networks (S2N) testbed in Genoa, Italy, a state-of-the-art facility for research and development in B5G/6G technologies with a focus on cybersecurity. The testbed’s modular architecture, including isolated “islands” and advanced HardWare/SoftWare (HW/SW), enables the simulation and analysis of cyber threats like Application Programming Interface (API) exposure, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. It supports the testing of security measures, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML)-based solutions, and facilitates comprehensive vulnerability assessments and penetration testing for next-generation networks. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17393071 Access Publication
MARE Project holds its 3rd General Assembly to review progress and define next steps
The consortium partners of the MARE project (Programmable, Modular and Disaggregated Security Plane for 6G Ecosystems) held their third General Assembly meeting (2nd face to face GA meeting), at Telefonica premises in Madrid on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd October 2025. The meeting brought together representatives from all consortium partner organizations from across Europe, and the meeting provided an opportunity to review the project’s progress, assess technical milestones and plan the activities for the upcoming reporting period. During the General Assembly, partners discussed administrative updates following the completion of the first months of implementation, including status of the Data Management Plan and the upcoming project technical deliverables. From the technical perspective, the meeting reviewed ongoing work in defining: The 6G landscape and functional design (Work Package 2), The architecture of the MARE Security Plane (Work Packages 3 and 4), The preparation of the deployment and validation ecosystem (Work Package 5), The progress of all PoCs, highlighting their progress and any difficulties which are faced, so the consortium could help in discussing ways with which these could be resolved. These developments pave the way for the first iteration of MARE’s proof-of-concept (PoCs) demonstrations, which will validate the project’s innovative approach to modular and programmable security functions. The consortium also discussed its growing involvement in the SNS JU and 6G-IA Working Groups, including active participation in the Security, 6G Architecture, Software Networks, Communications and Sustainability groups. These collaborations ensure that MARE’s results contribute to and align with broader European 6G research and standardization activities. The meeting also reinforced MARE’s commitment to open science practices. Partners reviewed procedures for data sharing, open-access publication and the use of the Zenodo repository to disseminate results in line with FAIR data principles. Upcoming dissemination activities and participation in SNS JU community events were also discussed. The next General Assembly will be hosted by CNIT in Verona (February 2026) and will focus on assessing technical progress toward the first integrated release of the MARE Security Plane and its initial validation in representative 6G use cases.
MARE project: MARE strategic General Assembly Held in Vilanova i la Geltrú
Athens, Greece – June 30 2025 – The MARE Project held its General Assembly on June 18–19 in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain, gathering partners from across Europe. Hosted by UPC at Neàpolis—an innovation hub 40 km south of Barcelona and home to the CRAAX Lab (UPC BarcelonaTECH)—the meeting set the stage for strategic discussions on the future of secure 6G networks. MARE aims to develop a secure, programmable platform to address emerging cybersecurity threats and ensure resilient, trustworthy 6G communications. Over two days, experts aligned on the project’s roadmap and refined the MARE Security Plane, which integrates open, programmable security functions for multi-domain protection. Key focus areas included: AI/ML-aided threat detection Full-plane and edge-level security Intent-based and digital twin security Zero-touch mitigation and trustworthy AI Eleven Proofs of Concept (PoCs) were presented, alongside plans for milestones, validation metrics, and collaboration with SNS JU initiatives. Technical sessions highlighted progress across work packages and contributions to 6G standardization. The MARE project has received funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No 101191436). Stay tuned for updates on how MARE will contribute to the future of secure communications. Follow us on social media using #MARE6G_EU to track our progress! Linkedin X-twitter Youtube Mastodon MARE Consortium Partners: SPACE HELLAS | TELEFONICA INNOVACION DIGITAL SL | ATOS(EVIDEN) | ERICSSON TELECOMUNICAZIONI SPA | THALES SIX GTS FRANCE SAS | HEWLETT PACKARD ITALIANA SRL | ORANGE SA | AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS | NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH “DEMOKRITOS” (NCSRD)| TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET BRAUNSCHWEIG (TUBS) | UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA (UPC) | CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI (CNIT) | UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN (CeADAR)| NEXTWORKS (NXW) | FOURDOTINFINITY | XLAB | ACCELLERAN |EIGHT BELLS LTD| UBITECH About MARE Project: The MARE Project is an EU-funded initiative developing a secure, programmable platform for 6G networks. It introduces a novel security plane with open functions to protect data, ensure integrity, and counter emerging threats, contributing to a resilient 6G ecosystem.MARE project has received funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101191436.
Enhancing Smart Grid Cybersecurity Through Intelligent, Data-Driven Monitoring
As Europe accelerates its transition towards smarter, more connected energy systems, cybersecurity is becoming a central concern for society, industry and policymakers alike. Smart grids – digital electricity networks that balance generation, distribution and consumption in real time, form part of our most critical infrastructure. Any disruption to these systems, whether accidental or malicious, could have serious economic and social consequences. A newly MARE journal publication, explores how advanced data-driven techniques can significantly improve the cybersecurity of smart grids. The research addresses a growing challenge in modern energy systems – that of “Detecting cyber threats that originate within the network itself, rather than only at its perimeter”. Today’s smart grids rely heavily on Industrial Control Systems (ICS), which coordinate substations, control centres and intelligent electronic devices. These systems were originally designed for reliability and efficiency, often with limited built-in security. While traditional cybersecurity solutions such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems remain important, they are typically positioned at the edges of a network. As a result, they can struggle to identify threats caused by compromised devices that are already operating inside the grid. The journal publication introduces an alternative approach that focuses on continuous monitoring of communication behaviour within the grid. Instead of inspecting the full content of every message, the system observes patterns in how devices normally communicate with one another. By learning what “normal” behaviour looks like, it becomes possible to quickly identify unusual or suspicious activity. This approach is particularly valuable in complex, high-traffic environments such as smart grids, where enormous volumes of data are exchanged every second. Monitoring communication patterns allows security mechanisms to operate efficiently, without interfering with the real-time operation of the energy network. A key strength of the proposed method is its ability to detect unknown or unexpected threats. Rather than being trained to recognise only specific attack signatures, the system identifies anomalies – behaviours that deviate from normal operation. This means it can detect a wide range of issues, from equipment malfunctions and misconfigurations to cyberattacks such as denial-of-service attempts or unauthorised control actions. The researchers validated their approach using real-world datasets based on two widely used international smart grid communication standards. Across multiple scenarios, the system demonstrated a very high ability to detect abnormal activity, showing that a single, adaptable monitoring solution can work effectively across different technologies and operational environments. For the MARE project, these results are particularly significant. MARE aims to develop a programmable, modular, and disaggregated security plane for future digital ecosystems, including those enabled by 6G technologies. Energy networks are a key examples of systems that require flexible and intelligent security mechanisms, capable of adapting to new threats without constant manual reconfiguration. The work highlighted in this paper aligns closely with MARE’s vision of increasing visibility, resilience and trust in critical infrastructures. By enhancing awareness of what is happening inside a network – and not just at its borders, such approaches enable faster detection, better response, and ultimately more reliable services for citizens. Beyond the energy sector, the findings are relevant to many other domains that depend on industrial control systems, including transport, manufacturing, water management and smart cities. As digitalisation continues to blur the boundaries between operational technology and IT networks, intelligent monitoring solutions will play a crucial role in safeguarding essential services. In an era where cyber threats are growing in sophistication and frequency, this research demonstrates how machine-learning-based monitoring can strengthen the foundations of secure, resilient infrastructure. By supporting innovations like this, the MARE project contributes to a safer digital future where critical systems can evolve with confidence and trust. Publication Details Machine Learning-Enriched Cybersecurity in Smart Grids Authors: G. Amritha, Manjula G. Nair, Fabrizio Granelli MARE Partner: Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni (CNIT) Journal: IEEE Access, June 2025. Journal website. Abstract: A smart grid is one of the critical infrastructures that, when targeted by a cyber-attack, could have disastrous effects on the economy and disrupt the lives of the population. Firewalls and Intrusion detection systems, the conventional protective schemes and cyber threat mitigation systems in smart grids, are usually deployed to analyse incoming and outgoing traffic. Although these approaches are capable of detecting external attacks, they are ill-suited to detect threats originating from a compromised device [internal to the grid] infected with malware or malicious software. To mitigate such threats, Industrial Control System (ICS) traffic monitoring and the implementation of anomaly detection systems based on the traffic data are crucial. We propose an anomaly detection system for monitoring the ICS traffic data based on IP traffic flows extended with application layer data obtained from the ICS packet headers. Unlike conventional methods that utilise statistical properties of the communication profiles of the dataflows to identify unknown threats, this study proposes an Autoencoder-based threat detection model. The dataset considered for the scope of this research was generated for the project at Brno University of Technology: Security monitoring of Industrial Control System (ICS) communication in the smart grid (Bonnet), 2019–2022, funded by the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic. The proposed solution was validated on diverse cyber-attack datasets, in conformance with IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 104 and IEC 61850 standards. The proposed model is efficient with an average anomaly detection rate of 99% in IEC 104 dataset and 97% in IEC 61850 dataset. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3576497 Access Publication
MARE project: Officially kicks-off to shape the future of secure 6G networks “Revolutionizing 6G with a Secure, Programmable Platform for Enhanced Resilience”
Athens, Greece – January 16, 2025 – The MARE Project has officially launched, οn January 14-15, leading partners from across Europe gathered at Space Hellas headquarters in Athens to kick-off this groundbreaking EU-funded initiative. MARE aims to revolutionize 6G networks by developing a secure, programmable platform designed to tackle emerging cybersecurity threats and ensure network resilience. The kick-off meeting brought together experts and organizations from diverse sectors to align on the project’s mission: shaping the next generation of communications with robust, proactive security solutions. Over the course of two days, participants outlined strategies to deliver a novel security plane equipped with open, programmable security functions, ensuring multi-domain security and privacy provisioning in 6G networks. The MARE project has received funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No 101191436). Stay tuned for updates on how MARE will contribute to the future of secure communications. Follow us on social media using #MARE6G_EU to track our progress! Linkedin X-twitter Youtube Mastodon MARE Consortium Partners: SPACE HELLAS | TELEFONICA INNOVACION DIGITAL SL | ATOS(EVIDEN) | ERICSSON TELECOMUNICAZIONI SPA | THALES SIX GTS FRANCE SAS | HEWLETT PACKARD ITALIANA SRL | ORANGE SA | AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS | NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH “DEMOKRITOS” (NCSRD)| TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET BRAUNSCHWEIG (TUBS) | UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA (UPC) | CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI (CNIT) | UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN (CeADAR)| NEXTWORKS (NXW) | FOURDOTINFINITY | XLAB | ACCELLERAN |EIGHT BELLS LTD| UBITECH About MARE Project: The MARE Project is an EU-funded initiative developing a secure, programmable platform for 6G networks. It introduces a novel security plane with open functions to protect data, ensure integrity, and counter emerging threats, contributing to a resilient 6G ecosystem.MARE project has received funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101191436.
