Participants of the meeting of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity discussed the organization of protection of the CEC systems during the local elections in 2020

Participants of the meeting discussed the organization of protection of the Central Election Commission systems during the local elections in 2020, as well as the prospects and potential risks of the introduction of online voting and other electronic services in the election process.

Representatives of the CEC, the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, intelligence agencies participated in the meeting.

“Guaranteeing the citizens’ rights to free will, ensuring transparent and democratic elections is one of the key tasks of the state, - Mr. Demedyuk stated. - We are ready to counter the threats in cyberspace that are expected to come from our northern neighbor”. “These are not only cyberattacks, but also attempts to manipulate the public consciousness, spread fakes in order to aggravate the socio-political situation inside the country and discredit Ukraine in the international arena”, - he said.

Based on the results of the discussion, the participants of the meeting proposed measures to prevent disruption of the election process due to cyberattacks, ensure the sustainable and reliable operation of information and telecommunications systems of the Central Election Commission.

During the discussion on the issue of online voting, it was stressed that the implementation of such an initiative requires a thorough approach. In this context, the ministries and agencies concerned are invited to develop a preliminary statement of work, a model of potential threats, and a feasibility study for the introduction of online voting in the electoral process in Ukraine for further comprehensive study and discussion.