Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are launching a Joint Maritime Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (MarCCE).
The Center, to be established and operated out of Nicosia, in Cyprus, represents a strategic milestone in reinforcing the national and regional cyber resilience of the maritime sector across all three nations and the broader Mediterranean region, a press release issued by the Israel National Cyber Directorate said.
The kick-off meeting of the launching of the Center took place on 25 February. The Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Karadi, the Head of the Greek National Cyber security Authority, Michalis Bletsas, Cyprus Commissioner of Communications, George Michaelides and the Head of the Digital Security Authority of Cyprus, Diamandis Zafeiriadis, met for the launching process, the press release read.
This trilateral collaboration is the implementation of a shared vision established by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and President Nikos Christodoulides during the Jerusalem Summit in December 2025, according to the press release.
The MarCCE will operate under the auspices of the Cyprus Digital Security Authority, in close coordination with the Israel National Cyber Directorate and the Greek National Cybersecurity Authority, aiming to become a premier force in maritime cyber resilience in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The MarCCE will focus its operations on four strategic pillars, namely Threat Intelligence & Operations Center with continuous monitoring and real-time information sharing regarding maritime-specific cyber threats and Indicators of Compromise (IoCs), Capacity Building & Training with specialised training programs and advanced Cyber Range exercises simulating complex attacks on critical maritime infrastructure, ports and vessels.
The other two pillars include Policy & Regulation with formulating international standards, best practices and guidelines and synchronising security protocols and compliance frameworks between member states and Innovation & Research with bridging the gap between Deep-Tech startups and maritime industry leaders to foster breakthrough technological solutions.
The Center is expected to serve as a significant growth engine for the technological ecosystems of the three nations and will facilitate collaboration between academia, industry, and government bodies in R&D, while making cutting-edge defense solutions accessible to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises within the maritime sector, the press release underlines.
The MarCCE is scheduled to commence operations within the coming year as part of a multi-year strategic plan to expand cyber services in the maritime domain.
(Source: CNA)
