NCSCC Secretary calls on EU and NATO countries to jointly counteract cyber aggression against russia

The National Cybersecurity Coordination Center under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, together with the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation, with the support of the US Department of State and the National Directorate of Cybersecurity of Romania, held the third international meeting of the National Cybersecurity Cluster on April 12, 2024, in Bucharest (Romania) on the topic: «Building Partnerships for Cybersecurity in Southeast Europe».

Ukraine has been at the frontline of cyber warfare for many years. The knowledge gained, in turn, has become a tool for collective defense in cyberspace at the global level. That’s why joining efforts in the cybersecurity sector with European partners at the 26th meeting of the Cluster was seen as a necessary step for joint capacity building, deepening European integration and further institutional development.

«Today, russia is conducting a cyberwar not only against Ukraine but also against the European Union and NATO countries. This is evidenced by numerous cyberattacks on state authorities, critical infrastructure, and stolen personal data of EU citizens, as well as the use of cyberattacks in combination with means of information influence. Therefore, it is important to send a clear message from our partners that such actions are unacceptable, as well as to ensure public attribution to the russian federation. Otherwise, the sense of impunity will lead to a greater escalation of russia's covert cyber aggression against the countries of the Euro-Atlantic community and their citizens», – said the Head of the Information Security and Cybersecurity Service of the NSDC of Ukraine, Secretary of the NCSCC Nataliya Tkachuk.

 Natalia Tkachuk also thanked international partners for their support of Ukraine: «Our country has already demonstrated its resilience, high level of public-private partnership and effective coordination. And thanks to your support, I’m confident that we will withstand and win this war».

Dan Cîmpean, the Director of the Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. During the  cyber war escalation risks panel, he highlighted the need to be aware that the tactics, techniques and procedures used during cyber-attacks are continuously changing. «We have a lot to learn from our neighbors and their unique experience and skill set. Applying these lessons, learned by Ukraine during the struggles of cyber warfare, is of paramount importance for us».

During the event, the participants discussed several topics. Among them:

• risks of escalation of cyber warfare in Southeast Europe;
• synergy of the state and business to strengthen collective security;
• deepening cooperation with the EU and NATO: practical steps for Ukraine in the field of cybersecurity.

One of the main goals of the event was to establish connections between the Romanian and Ukrainian cyber ecosystems, so the meeting of the National Cybersecurity Cluster was attended by representatives of both the public and private sectors working in the field of cybersecurity.

In total, the meeting was attended by about a hundred representatives of the public sector, international cybersecurity organizations, EU and NATO cybersecurity agencies, academia, and business. Key speakers included representatives of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization of Romania, the Council of Europe's CyberUA project, E-ARC, as well as the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Cyber Unit Technologies, CyberLab, NEXTLAB.Tech, and Bitdefender, National University of Political Studies, and Public Administration and European External Action Service.