As the world becomes more technologically advanced and connected, the transition towards 6G promises new innovative opportunities – including ultra-fast communication, real-time services and seamless integration of billions of devices. These advances though present with them new challenges which must be taken into account and tackled! Examples include: How do we protect sensitive personal information and business data? How can we ensure trust in networks that are more open, more modular and more distributed than ever before? This is where the MARE Project comes in. MARE – short for Programmable, Modular and Disaggregated Security Plane for 6G Ecosystems, is a European Research and Innovation project funded by the Horizon Europe programme under Grant Agreement No 101191436. The project began in January 2025, will run for three years and MARE brings together leading industry players, research centres and universities from across Europe to reimagine how security and privacy can be built into the foundations of forthcoming 6G mobile networks. Why the MARE project is needed? Future 6G network will not just be a faster version of current 5G networks. They will introduce us to new innovations and concepts, such as cloud-native architectures, Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN), edge computing and AI-powered network management. These innovations will help make networks more flexible and efficient. Despite this, they may open the door to a broader range of cyberattacks – which we must consider, study and protect against. From data tampering and denial-of-service attacks, to threats targeting AI models or digital twins, the future of 6G connectivity faces an expanded set of new threats which traditional, static security solutions may not be suitable against. 6G networks will thus require security that is adaptive, programmable and intelligent – which will be able to respond in real-time to evolving and ongoing threats. The vision of MARE MARE’s vision is to provide a novel security plane for 6G networks. This will be an open, modular and programmable environment where security functions can be dynamically composed and orchestrated. Instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all defense, MARE will allow for a more flexible approach, bringing together security capabilities on demand, all of which can be configured and optimized relative to threats which are being encountered. This innovative security plane has three interconnected layers: The Cybersecurity Core provides the main security and privacy functionalities. Modular building blocks called DOTs (basic security primitives) are combined into Security Functions, which are deployed as microservices. An intelligent orchestrator then activates and adapts these Security Functions depending on the threat situation. The Abstraction Layer collects monitoring data from the underlying infrastructure, mapping out the system’s “attack surface” and feeding valuable knowledge to the Cybersecurity Core. The Interface Layer connects the security plane to external users, service providers and developers, ensuring visibility, interoperability and ease of use. As can be seen in the above figure, together these layers make up a programmable and adaptive security framework, ensuring that 6G networks are fast, efficient, safe and trustworthy. How this will be achieved? MARE will develop and validate its approach through 11 dedicated Proof-of-Concepts (PoCs), each of which will address a specific type of cyber threat. These PoCs are grouped into thematic areas covering critical aspects of 6G, from attacks on open RAN infrastructures, to safeguarding AI-based systems, securing digital twins and protecting against large-scale denial-of-service attempts. MARE will also introduces a pre-assessment environment where threats and countermeasures can be tested under different conditions – using simulation, emulation and real-world infrastructure. This is done to anticipate attacks before they occur and also being able to evaluate the effectiveness of potential defenses. MARE: A European Collaboration The project is led by Space Hellas (Greece) and its diverse consortium of 20 partners includes telecom operators – such as Telefónica and Orange, large technology companies, research institutions, as well as innovative SMEs. Through this diverse and combined set of European expertise, MARE will ensure that its solutions are cutting-edge and aligned with the broader European vision for 6G. Looking ahead During its timespan, MARE will design and test its security plane, contribute to standardisation efforts and open-source communities – which will help in its innovations being widely adopted. The ultimate goal of MARE is clear – to make 6G networks secure, resilient and trustworthy for everyone! By anticipating tomorrow’s threats and building proactive defenses, MARE will lay the foundation for a safer digital connected future. Stay tuned as we share our journey, insights, activities and results in the months to come.