The rise of time-critical continuum computing and future 6G services—such as real-time holography, mixed reality, and hyperconnected Industry 4.0 applications—promises transformative communication between people and machines. Driven by advances in cognitive computing and AI, these services are expected to become increasingly autonomous, secure, and self-aware. However, the growing complexity and distribution of these systems significantly expands the threat landscape, making it difficult to ensure robust security, privacy, and trust. Traditional perimeter-based approaches are no longer sufficient. Instead, security must be built into the core design and orchestration of these networks from the outset.

In response, the RIGOUROUS project aims to identify and mitigate key cybersecurity, trust, and privacy challenges affecting networks, devices, infrastructure, and services. It proposes a smart, holistic security framework that uses machine learning and AI to dynamically adapt to evolving threats across all orchestration layers and network functions. By embedding intelligence and adaptability into the architecture, RIGOUROUS will help build a resilient foundation for next-generation computing and communication systems, ensuring that these advanced services are not only high-performing and responsive but also secure and trustworthy by design.