The ambition of the NATWORK project is to set the core elements and deploy the very first economically realistic, energy efficient and viable bio-inspired AI-based 6G cybersecurity and resilience framework for intelligent networking and services. This framework will be focused on networking distributed systems that transcend a single administrative domain and cross a heterogeneous fabric of resources. NATWORK will conduct research that is novel in four areas as depicted below:

• It will close the security gap in innovation between software systems, resource management and networking architectures;
• It will enable multiple providers to interconnect resources and services using simplified secure-by-design interfaces;
• AI will be natively integrated into several layers of the network;
• It will provide a holistic framework to defend against Physical Layer Attacks.

The main vision of NATWORK is to develop a novel bio-inspired cybersecurity and resilience framework for networking distributed systems that transcend a single administrative domain and cross a heterogeneous fabric of resources. This vision is motivated by the new ICT systems landscape and 6G vision. NATWORK will conduct research that is novel in four manners:

1. It will close the security gap in innovation between software systems, resource management and networking architectures;
2. It will enable multiple providers to interconnect resources and services using simplified secure-by-design interfaces;
3. Within NATWORK, AI will be natively integrated into several layers of the network;
4. NATWORK will provide a holistic framework to defend against Physical Layer Attacks.

We feel honoured that NATWORK project has been chosen to be funded under the European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU). NATWORK consortium, which combines of multidisciplinary competences and resources from  the  academia,  industry and research community, aims to promote a novel AI-leveraged self-adaptive security mechanism for 6G networks based on resilient bio-mimicry principles.

On the 14th and 15th of February 2024 NATWORK project organised the 1st plenary (Kick-Off) meeting at the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) premises at Thessaloniki, Greece. This engaging two-day event served as a significant milestone, bringing together all 14 partners. Within the plenary meeting, the consortium initiated the project, setup the main objectives and established common goals. Fruitful discussions focusing on activity organisations and early view about the technical aspects and challenges were performed. Thank you all the partners for their attendance to this 1st plenary (Kick-Off) physical meeting, and the valuable action plan unveiled during the two-day event. We are looking forward the next plenary meeting!

The first release of the promotional material was issued at the end of March. Within this package the flyer, the rollup and the newsletter template were distributed among the consortium. This material was developed to promote the NATWORK project at events, having enhanced partner participation. More specifically, the graphic material provides information and initial results of the project, directed to both technical and non-technical audiences. Below, snapshots of the flyer and the rollup are depicted:

NATWORK partners are fully engaged to events, conferences and exhibitions that promote and extend NATWORK goals and objectives. In fact, all partners advance NATWORK project and disseminate project results through all available forms. The following events have been concluded, having NATWORK presence through presentations and / or invited speeches. Below, the actual events that took place earlier this year and the involved partners are illustrated:

• ZHAW / The 6Gsec Common Path and Cardinal Points “6Gsec CP²”, Paris, France;
• TSS / INCYBER FORUM EUROPE, March 2024, Lille, France;
• NEC / Ciber Jueves ICAI, April 2024, Madrid, Spain.

In addition, information regarding the upcoming workshop that is going to be arranged by Montimage is presented below:

• The 4th International Workshop on Safety and Security Testing and Monitoring, July 2024, Vienna, Austria.