Who will build Ukraine's cyber shield? Representatives of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine took part in the discussion of the strategy for the development of cyber personnel

On Thursday, May 22, the National Institute for Strategic Studies hosted an expert discussion on the development of a strategy for state support for the development of human resources in the field of cybersecurity.

The event was titled “Cyber Workforce in Ukraine: Is there a Common Understanding of the Concept and Priorities of State Support?” and brought together leading experts from government agencies, academia, the educational sector, NGOs, and business: representatives of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, the State Research Institute of Cybersecurity and Information Protection Technologies, and the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture,  Institute of Special Communications and Information Protection of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, NGO “Institute for Cyber Warfare Studies”, NGO “Center for Analysis and Development of Effective Policies”, LLC EY Ukraine Digital, LLC 10Guards.

Participants discussed various options for adapting the concept of “Cyber Workforce”, among which the most appropriate were “cybersecurity personnel”, “cyber staff” and “cyber human resources”. During the discussion, it was emphasized that modern cybersecurity is much broader than purely technical aspects, and the “cyber workforce” should include such specialists as auditors, lawyers, cyber diplomats, compliance specialists, etc.

The participants paid special attention to the issue of career guidance and involvement of young people in cybersecurity. Experts agreed that it is necessary to implement large-scale information campaigns aimed at popularizing the profession and supporting the educational system. The development of dual education, which will allow students to acquire practical skills at the early stages of their education, was also identified as an important task.

“Without systematic information work in educational institutions, we will not be able to create a long-term personnel reserve. The state must turn the general interest in cybersecurity into a stable professional interest that will contribute to the development of the national cyber potential. In addition, the development of human resources is interconnected with the development of the entire national cybersecurity ecosystem - if we cannot ensure a stable demand from the state for cybersecurity services and provide decent wages for highly qualified Ukrainian specialists, then improving the quality of IT education alone will not solve the issue of staff outflow,” said Natalia Tkachuk, Head of the Information Security and Cybersecurity Service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Secretary of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity.

All participants unanimously supported the thesis that the domestic cybersecurity market should become a powerful incentive for attracting new specialists.

Particular emphasis was placed on the need to find new talent pools, in particular through greater involvement of veterans and women, which will require the implementation of special retraining and professional development programs.