“Cyber Defense, Information Resilience and Cyber Diplomacy: NCCC held strategic level command and staff exercises “National Cyber Readiness - 2024”

The National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity (NCCC) under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine held the fourth annual strategic-level command and control exercise (TTX) “National Cyber Readiness 2024” on Friday, December 13. The main goal of the event is to strengthen Ukraine's national cybersecurity system by developing effective mechanisms for joint response to cyber threats.

“These exercises demonstrate our ability to respond to complex cyber threats in a prompt and coordinated manner. Participation in the exercise allows us to increase the level of national cyber preparedness and ensure reliable protection of state institutions and critical infrastructure, which is critical in times of war. Participants get the opportunity to test their solutions in conditions as close to real-life as possible. After all, our scenarios are based on up-to-date intelligence and take into account the probability of events,” emphasized Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Serhiy Demediuk.

This year's scenarios focused on cyber defense, information resilience, and cyber diplomacy. Participants practiced mechanisms for making strategic decisions in response to large-scale cyber attacks, as well as related military and information operations. The scenarios included a number of complex threats that could affect Ukraine's national security.

Natalia Tkachuk, Head of the Information Security and Cybersecurity Service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Secretary of the NCCC, noted that such exercises allow for the formation of a common vision of how to respond to potential cyber threats.

“This year's scenario combined several key components of our resilience: cybersecurity, information, ability to respond to emergencies and crises, as well as to ensure effective interaction with partners. We have noted significant progress in the cybersecurity component: all cybersecurity actors clearly understand their roles, effectively exchange information and interact with each other. The level of maturity and readiness is much higher than in previous years. However, today, cognitive influence is becoming the main tool of the enemy. We are witnessing a close connection between the cyber domain and the information sphere, including special information operations of the aggressor country, as well as direct military actions. Therefore, it is important to ensure effective coordination to counter threats in all these domains. And this year's national exercises were aimed at practicing such mechanisms. We sincerely thank all the participants for their active work and contribution to strengthening the country's cybersecurity,” summarized Natalia Tkachuk.

Representatives of all major cybersecurity actors, as well as the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine, the Center for Countering Disinformation, and the State Enterprise “Diia” joined the exercise.

The annual strategic-level command and staff exercises are envisaged by the Cybersecurity Strategy of Ukraine, approved by the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 447/2021 of August 26, 2021. The exercise was based on the Procedure for Interaction of Cybersecurity Entities in Response to Cyber Incidents/Cyber Attacks, adopted at a meeting of the NCCC on September 22, 2022.

The exercises were supported by the USAID Project “Cybersecurity of Ukraine's Critical Infrastructure” and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.

The strategic-level command and staff exercises conducted by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center have increased the readiness of key cybersecurity actors to effectively interact, respond quickly to threats, and strengthen national cyber resilience.