Since the late February, the activity of enemy hacker groups has been growing symmetrically to the escalation of hostilities. Thus, cyberspace has become “the second frontline” while Ukrainians have been forced to become the witnesses of the first cyber war in the history.
County`s successes in this field primarily rely on the successful coordination among government bodies and systemic action against cyber threats through cooperation with businesses.
As a result, the topic of public-private partnership was the main motive of the 12th National Cybersecurity Cluster session. For the first time since the beginning of hostilities, the event was held not solely virtually but in a hybrid format.
“This is the first time in a half of the year when we have had the opportunity to conduct the event in a hybrid mode and to see you all in person. It would not be possible without our defenders, who are on the battlefields, and without our cyber defenders. This proves that coordination of efforts in each and every aspect remains a priority and is a prerequisite to successful countering of threats,” – said Mykhailo Verych, Senior Operations Manager at CRDF Global.
Traditionally, the session gathered around 250 public and private sector representatives, international community and academia, embassies, and donor organizations.
“I would like to encourage dialogue among us and the exchange of best practices on all kinds of public-private partnerships in cyberspace. We know that there is no “one size fits all” solution for all of us, but I encourage us to learn from one another to find the most effective and secure solutions to counter Russian malicious cyber activity,” – emphasized David Schlaefer, Senior Assistance Coordinator for Ukrainian Affairs, US Department of State.
The 12th session begun with the ceremony of cyber volunteers` awarding, who have been putting their efforts into the Ukrainian cyber defense since the beginning of the invasion.
“The war has shown us that without collaboration with the private sector we would not ensure defense and security on such an outstanding level. I am grateful to our partners, who respond to our needs,” – admitted Serhii Demediuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
During the session, representatives of Computer Forensics Lab, Fortinet Ukraine, Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Cyber Unit Technologies shared the cases of effective cooperation between the Ukrainian government and public sector.
“With the beginning of the war in one of the most competitive markets in Europe – the telecommunications market of Ukraine, the term “competition” has disappeared. Operators, providers, vendors, military administrations, communities, corporate clients – everyone acted together to restore communication, and relevant specialists found unique solutions to support its cyber protection,” – noted Volodymyr Kolyadenko, Vice President of Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during his speech.
The representatives of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Cyber Security Center of the United Kingdom, Hague Security Delta, Mandiant, Sovereign Ventures as well as Next Peak presented the best practices of public-private partnership network development.
Coordination of efforts is an important link in the ensuring cyber resilience chain process. The 12th Cluster session served as a platform for dialogue, information sharing, reviewing the needs and new partnerships building.
National Cybersecurity Cluster is a joint coordination effort of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and Representation of U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation in Ukraine, CRDF Global, with the support of the U.S. Department of State. The platform unites key Ukrainian and international players in the sphere of cybersecurity and related areas to address key needs of cyber community in Ukraine.
