Nataliia Tkachuk: Creation of effective cyber forces will enhance Ukraine’s ability to counter cyber aggression of the terrorist country

There are cyber forces in more than 40 countries worldwide that is a part of a global trend in cyber defence strengthening.  This was stated by Nataliia Tkachuk, Head of Informational Security and Cybersecurity Service of the Office of the NSDC of Ukraine, Secretary of the National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity, during the IV Scientific and Practical Webinar “Ensuring the State’s Cyber Defence”.

Addressing the participants, Nataliia Tkachuk emphasised the urgent need to create cyber forces in Ukraine.

“Creation of effective cyber forces would significantly enhance our ability to counter cyber aggression of the terrorist country, and in the strategic perspective, it would become the basis for the development of Ukraine’s cyber capabilities. Currently, relying on our own unique experience and studying successful international cases, we must create effective cyber forces as soon as possible, and therefore, ensure Ukraine’s input to collective security system”, – underlined the Head of the Service.

According to Nataliia Tkachuk, it requires a conceptual approach which should be enshrined in the Concept of the Ukrainian Cyber Forces. Besides, it is important here to make everything comply with international and national law, and democratic civilian control.

Along with that, Secretary of the NCCC noted that in the course of creating our cyber forces, we shouldn’t trace over the experience of other countries, as the national cybersecurity system of Ukraine has its peculiarities.

“Thanks to our own unique experience gained during full-scale invasion of russia, and successful cases of other countries, we have everything we need to create cyber forces in Ukraine already in the nearest future”, – summed up Nataliia Tkachuk.

For reference: The webinar “Ensuring the State’s Cyber Defence”, organised by the National Defence University of Ukraine, was attended by representatives of customers for the training of military specialists from the structural units of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, leading cyber defence experts from scientific institutions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, higher education institutions of Ukraine, as well as representatives of other ministries and agencies.

The event was aimed at determining current challenges in ensuring cybersecurity of the state when planning and organising cyber defence, and the ways to tackle them.

The scientific and practical webinar was intended to be a discussion of the following aspects:

• the capabilities of the actors ensuring the state’s cyber defence, and the procedure for their interaction in performing their assigned tasks,
• matters of cyber intelligence and cyber protection of the state’s critical infrastructure facilities;
• training of cybersecurity specialists, taking into account foreign experience and the experience gained during the repulsion of russia’s large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine.

Following the webinar, there will be a collection of abstracts published.