diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 542f9aa..705553c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ Please check out the blog posts for more details.
 
 * [Kotlin Kafka Streams](https://perkss.github.io/#/DistributedSystems/Streaming#KafkaStreamsKotlin)
 
+## Building Locally
+As the integration tests run with docker you are required to have docker running locally. 
+
+Then simply execute the maven command you wish.
+
+`mvn clean install`
+
 ## Docker Environment
 
 Please use the docker-compose file in the root of each module project to create the Kafka Brokers and Zookeeper and
diff --git a/kafka-reactive-producer-consumer/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/FlowTest.kt b/kafka-reactive-producer-consumer/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/FlowTest.kt
index da616d4..f60a6c8 100644
--- a/kafka-reactive-producer-consumer/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/FlowTest.kt
+++ b/kafka-reactive-producer-consumer/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/FlowTest.kt
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class FlowTest {
         @BeforeAll
         @JvmStatic
         internal fun beforeAll() {
-            val imageName = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.5.3")
+            val imageName = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.7.1")
             kafkaContainer = KafkaContainer(imageName)
             kafkaContainer.start()
             await until { kafkaContainer.isRunning }
diff --git a/kotlin-kafka-streams-examples/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/integration/StreamIntegrationTest.kt b/kotlin-kafka-streams-examples/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/integration/StreamIntegrationTest.kt
index 700994f..60763e8 100644
--- a/kotlin-kafka-streams-examples/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/integration/StreamIntegrationTest.kt
+++ b/kotlin-kafka-streams-examples/src/test/kotlin/com/perkss/kafka/reactive/integration/StreamIntegrationTest.kt
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ internal class StreamIntegrationTest @Autowired constructor(
         @BeforeAll
         @JvmStatic
         internal fun beforeAll() {
-            val kafkaImageName = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.5.3")
-            val schemaRegistryImageName = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-schema-registry:7.5.3")
+            val kafkaImageName = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.7.1")
+            val schemaRegistryImageName = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-schema-registry:7.7.1")
             kafka = KafkaContainer(kafkaImageName)
             kafka.apply {
                 withNetwork(Network.newNetwork())
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 930a98c..d874f8c 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@
         <kotlin.code.style>official</kotlin.code.style>
 
         <kotlin.version>1.9.22</kotlin.version>
-        <reactor.kafka.version>1.3.22</reactor.kafka.version>
-        <spring.boot.version>3.2.1</spring.boot.version>
-        <kafka.version>3.6.1</kafka.version>
-        <kafka-avro-serdes.version>7.5.1</kafka-avro-serdes.version>
-        <avro.version>1.11.3</avro.version>
+        <reactor.kafka.version>1.3.23</reactor.kafka.version>
+        <spring.boot.version>3.3.4</spring.boot.version>
+        <kafka.version>3.8.0</kafka.version>
+        <kafka-avro-serdes.version>7.7.1</kafka-avro-serdes.version>
+        <avro.version>1.12.0</avro.version>
 
         <junit.jupiter.version>5.10.1</junit.jupiter.version>
         <junit.vintage.version>5.10.1</junit.vintage.version>
@@ -78,12 +78,12 @@
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
                 <artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
-                <version>1.3.14</version>
+                <version>1.5.8</version>
             </dependency>
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
                 <artifactId>logback-core</artifactId>
-                <version>1.3.14</version>
+                <version>1.5.8</version>
             </dependency>
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>org.codehaus.groovy</groupId>