HOPLITE Consortium

The project will be coordinated by UCD Centre for Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Investigation (UCD CCI), who will also have responsibility for technical development, including the integration of new tools to the AIL framework. UCD CCI are experienced ISF project managers, having coordinated several projects extending back to 2010, including the current UnderServed project which relates to some of the threat intelligence sharing aspects of HOPLITE. UCD CCI previously coordinated the H2020 INSPECTr project, which developed a shared intelligence platform for digital evidence correlation and transfer. UCD CCI are also partners in H2020 CYCLOPES project to develop a cybercrime network of practitioners.

UCD CCI is also well known for its cybersecurity expertise. Having worked with the Irish government since 2011, UCD CCI played a significant role in authoring the Cybersecurity Strategy for Ireland, and the development and establishment of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and CSIRT-IE. UCD CCI still has a close relationship with the NCSC and provides R&D expertise and operational support on a daily basis. Having been involved in the development of the CSIRT-IE secure networks and infrastructure.

The Computer Incident Response Center Luxembourg (CIRCL) is a government-driven initiative that provides a systematic and effective response to computer security threats and incidents, as CERT with national responsibilities in accordance with the NIS I/II directive. Leveraging its extensive experience in cybersecurity incident management, threat intelligence, and proactive response strategies, CIRCL is at the forefront of cyber threat intelligence and information sharing.

The organization plays a pivotal role in the development of multiple open-source projects widely adopted by CSIRTs, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement communities. CIRCL leads the development of innovative open-source cybersecurity tools, such as MISP and AIL. These tools are crucial for enhancing threat detection, fostering collaboration, and facilitating intelligence sharing across Europe. These tools are also central to the HOPLITE concept and therefore CIRCL are a key partner in this initiative.

Timelex is a leading niche law firm specialised in the legal aspects of new technologies. Timelex is currently involved in over 40 EU-funded project in various domains, notably including civil security for society and law enforcement projects, both in Horizon Europe and ISF. In those projects, Timelex acts as a legal advisor to the consortium, dealing with all legal and ethical aspects of the work

In HOPLITE, the role of Timelex will be the same: ensuring, through defining requirements and active cooperation with the other partners, that the developed tools and project experiments remain in line with applicable legal rules and principles, notably fundamental rights, data protection law and the recently adopted AI act. These considerations are vital for the success of the project in a operational setting.

The European Cybercrime Education and Training Group (ECTEG) is a member group composed of European Union and European Economic Area Member States law enforcement agencies, international bodies, academia, private industry, and experts whose aim is to support the building of law enforcement capacity through the development and delivery of cybercrime training materials. ECTEG was established in 2007, and since then have created and maintained a catalogue of training resources covering all aspects of digital forensics and cybercrime investigations

ECTEG will lend its expertise to the development of HOPLITE, through regular community consultations and an assessment of the project’s results, including training materials. ECTEG will also extend a special invitation to LEA contributors to the project to attend its bi-annual expert meetings. This will include funding their attendance at the meetings, using a special budget for investigating synergies between projects for avoiding duplication of efforts and enhancing and promoting project results

The National Cyber Security Centre of Ireland (NCSC) engages in a comprehensive set of tasks around cyber security, with primary focus on securing Government networks and securing Critical National Infrastructure and encompasses the State’s National/Governmental Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT-IE). The initial focus of the NCSC and CSIRT-IE is to provide incident response services to Government networks and the main Critical National Infrastructure providers. The NCSC strategy details how they engage with primary stakeholders and outlines their mandate. NCSC’s mandate includes activities to reduce the vulnerability of critical systems and networks within the State to incidents and cyber-attacks, effective response when such attacks occur, and establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with national and international partners. The NCSC will provide staff to HOPLITE for reviewing the project’s outputs and providing feedback, while seeking opportunities for increased cooperation with LEAs with respect to cybersecurity incidents