Bulgaria's Information Services, the national system integrator of Bulgaria, announced a strategic collaboration with Google Cloud to bolster the country's national cyber defence capabilities. This collaboration marks one of the first implementations of Google Cloud's Cybershield in Europe, positioning Bulgaria as a flagship for centralised, AI-powered national security.

In an era where cyber threats evolve at AI speed, traditional manual defences are no longer sufficient. Bulgaria's National Cyber Defence Strategy addresses this challenge by establishing a federated Security Operations Centre (SOC) designed to protect numerous government ministries and agencies.

Information Services uses Google Cloud Security Operations to gain centralised awareness of threats across government entities, driving a unified and rapid response. By leveraging Google Cloud's secure-by-design infrastructure and AI-driven threat intelligence, the collaboration establishes a robust defensive posture to identify and neutralise complex cyber threats. Integrating Mandiant's frontline insights with advanced technology empowers the Bulgarian government to scale its security operations and provide holistic protection for national critical assets and citizens.

"Our partnership with Google Cloud is the result of an eight-year relationship built on trust and technical excellence," said Simeon Kartselyanski, Cyber Security Manager at Information Services and leader of the Bulgarian National Cyber Security Operations Centre. "By integrating advanced AI-driven security operations and frontline threat intelligence, we are maturing our national defences to protect Bulgaria's digital resilience and critical infrastructure. This project serves as a model for how EU nations can utilise centralised capabilities to stay ahead of persistent adversaries."

The implementation, which began earlier this year, aims to onboard 54 government entities into the federated SOC. The project integrates a comprehensive suite of Google Cloud security solutions, including Google Cloud Security Operations, for planet-scale analytics and Google Threat Intelligence, which incorporates Mandiant's frontline insight. To further strengthen local expertise, the collaboration includes specialised analyst capabilities to support Information Services in detecting and neutralising complex intrusion scenarios.

The project is supported by EU funding, reflecting a broader regional mandate to secure the EU's eastern border. By consolidating security telemetry and intelligence, Bulgaria is significantly reducing the mean time to detect and respond to threats, moving from a reactive to a proactive defensive stance.

"Bulgaria is taking a leading role in European cybersecurity by executing a highly sophisticated, centralised defence strategy," said Boris Georgiev, Director for Central and Eastern Europe at Google Cloud. "Through Cybershield, we are helping Information Services transform Bulgarian national security from a manual craft into an automated science, fighting AI-powered threats with superior AI-powered defences. We are proud to support Bulgaria as one of the first EU nations to deploy this integrated system of action."