The Security Assistance For Education & Research (SAFER) is a new organization to protect by fighting cyberthreats to academia, research, and the education sector (R&E) globally. ESET with other security experts to support SAFER with an aim to offer a truly global incident response capability to research and education organizations under attack.
Marc-Étienne Léveillé, Senior Malware Researcher at ESET, has been named a founding member of the Security Assistance For Education & Research (SAFER) Trust Group, a new group of independent security experts who have banded together to better protect the research and education sector (R&E) from global threats. ESET, as the only private-sector institution, joins a number of public-sector organizations in backing the founding members, who will contribute their knowledge to preserve and advance safer education and research.
SAFER does not accept applications because it is a member-driven organization. Instead, it nominates persons who are actively working to secure the R&E sector. Each member has made significant contributions to the R&E sector’s security, earning them respect and trust. Marc-Étienne Léveillé worked with the R&E sector during his comprehensive research on Windigo and Kobalos, backed by ESET’s malware research team. Kobalos is a Linux backdoor that primarily targets supercomputers in academia and scientific institutes. The research ESET conducted on Kobalos was done in partnership with CERN, another SAFER supporter. Other groups contributing to the project’s success include LBNL, DFN-CERT, ESnet, STFC and WLCG.
For many years, ESET has been a supporter of education, academia, and research. This is reflected in the establishment of the ESET Foundation, whose mission is to encourage education, research, and scientific growth for the greater good of society. The ESET Foundation, among other things, honors the achievements of Slovakian scientists with its annual ESET Science Award. The ESET Foundation places a high premium on investing in the education and development of the community, particularly children. ESET’s relationship with the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, where tech-focused ESET employees teach inter-academic subjects and conduct research, clearly illustrates ESET’s support for inter-academic subjects and research. ESET also publishes its own cybersecurity research to promote awareness of threats on WeLiveSecurity.
ESET’s support of SAFER, a new program to protect the research and development sector in the face of escalating threats from transnational criminal organizations and nation-states, is a suitable addition to its objective to make the internet a safer place.
