Major international and Ukrainian cybersecurity news in June 2023

In early June, a number of international cybersecurity-related events took place in Tallinn, including the CyCon conference. Participants focused on discussing the theory and practice of cyber conflicts, especially with regard to the realities of cyber confrontation in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Part of these events was the fifth US-Ukraine bilateral cyber consultations, which resulted in the US planning to provide Ukraine with an additional $37 million in cybersecurity assistance.

The EU continues to take measures to limit China's influence on the EU's digital infrastructure, and the EU is developing its own cyber capabilities. European lawmakers are finalizing the law on cyber resilience, which should create new opportunities for the EU to improve its own cybersecurity. The EU is also discussing possible areas of cooperation with partners (including NATO) on building the resilience of the critical infrastructure facilities.

A key event in June was a cyberattack by the russian malware group Cl0p that exploited a vulnerability in the popular file-sharing program MOVEit. The cyberattack caused damage to several U.S. federal agencies (mainly in the energy sector) and large industrial companies. Currently, cybersecurity authorities are investigating the consequences of the cyberattack and the amount of data lost.

Artificial intelligence is the focus of special attention of both national governments and international discussions. ENISA has held regular discussions on the possible threats to personal data that its uncontrolled use may pose, and the EU is preparing to introduce regulations on the use of AI. The United States, in turn, emphasizes the threat of illegal use of AI by authoritarian countries, and draws attention to the readiness of countries such as China to enter a new race with the West in the technology sector using methods of not always fair competition.

Energy companies are one of the most coveted targets for hacker groups. Although malware is not yet widely used, the energy sector feels exposed in the current cyber threat landscape. Watching the cyber confrontation unfold against the backdrop of the russian-Ukrainian war, European energy companies are investing in their own cybersecurity capabilities, but feel a lack of security for renewable energy players.

In June, the creation of the "Ramstein IT Coalition" was announced. This initiative will help improve Ukraine's capabilities, particularly in cyber defense, and is part of a broader effort by international partners to support Ukraine. It is also worth noting the continued support from the United States in the digital sphere. Meanwhile, Western experts are discussing the effectiveness of Ukrainian approaches to cyber defense during the war, and based on this experience, they are considering possible changes in their own approaches to cybersecurity.

Read more about legislative changes, initiatives of national actors, trends, forecasts and analytical assessments, international and Ukrainian news in the field of cybersecurity in Ukraine at the link