РНБОУ National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

Oleksandr Turchynov: Russia is going to use the entire arsenal, including cybernetic means, to influence the democratic will of the Ukrainian people

A meeting of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity was held under the chairmanship of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov.

During the meeting, issues of security of the CEC servers and readiness to counteract possible cyberattacks during the election process, the draft Concept of Preparation for Repelling Military Aggression in Cyberspace, and other topical cybersecurity issues of the state were considered.

According to Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov, ensuring cybersecurity of the upcoming elections is a crucial issue for the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

"The available information indicates that Russia intends to use the entire arsenal, including cybernetic means, to influence the democratic will of the Ukrainian people", - the NSDC Secretary noted.

He reported that in the near future, with the support of the EU, joint exercises will take place, during which different scenarios of cyber interference will be modeled and models of response to cyberthreats will be developed.

Mr. Turchynov also noticed that according to the results of the previous meeting of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity, the Central Election Commission concluded Memoranda of cooperation with cybersecurity actors, "within which election commissions will be provided with comprehensive technical and methodological assistance". In this context, the NSDC emphasized the coordinated work of the CEC, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.

Moreover, practical interagency cooperation, including the establishment of a working group on the basis of the CEC informatization department, which will include the best experts from the SSU and the SSSCIP, was discussed at the meeting. "Twenty-four-hour alert of the SSU and the SSSCIP forces and facilities will be launched to identify, prevent and suppress any unauthorized actions with the CEC information resources", - the NSDC Secretary informed.

The members of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity also heard the Concept of Preparation for Repelling Military Aggression in Cyberspace developed by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine together with the General Staff. This document was drafted as part of the reform and development of the defense sector, the fulfillment of tasks to achieve interoperability with NATO, active counteraction to cyberthreats during the hybrid war, practical implementation of the Cybersecurity Strategy and the Law of Ukraine "On the basic principles of ensuring cybersecurity".