ISSP joins the ATHENA project to fight against information manipulation and interference

ISSP became a part of the ATHENA project, a €3 million Horizon Europe initiative focused on combatting foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

As an international cybersecurity service provider, ISSP aligns its expertise with leading European research and educational organizations to address the escalating digital threats posed by FIMI.

An exposition on THe forEign informatioN mAnipulation and interference, the ATHENA project serves as a strategic response by the European Union to the rising challenges of foreign information manipulation and interference.

The primary objective is to examine a minimum of 30 instances of FIMI, analyzing the tactics, techniques, and procedures employed by perpetrators. By gaining a deep understanding of these methods, ATHENA aims to develop robust countermeasures and evaluate their societal impacts.

‘The ATHENA research project is highly relevant, as it is aimed at countering destructive information influences, which pose extremely important risks to modern information society. The project results will enable the improvement of existing mechanisms to counter the spread of disinformation. We are excited to be part of this initiative under the European Union research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, and, in partnership with leading European organizations, contribute to countering propaganda and information manipulations,’ said Roman Sologub, CEO at ISSP.

The project's innovative approach involves the creation of a disinformation analysis toolbox, a comprehensive knowledge graph, and a dynamic dashboard for monitoring FIMI activities and counter-strategies. ATHENA will also conduct a comparative legal and regulatory analysis of how eight EU Member States address FIMI, identifying areas where policy improvements can be made.

The ATHENA project consortium includes the following partners: Hellas (FORTH, Greece), the University of Cyprus (UCY), the Bavarian Police Academy (Germany), the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Fundació Eurecat (Spain), Storyzy (France), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), the European Organisation for Security (Belgium), Maldita (Spain), EU-Disinfo (Belgium), University College Dublin (Ireland), ISSP (Ukraine), and Trilateral Research (UK).