Ukraine participated for the first time in the meeting of the EU National Cybersecurity Coordination Centers and the meeting of the Steering Board of the European Cybersecurity Competence Center

On July 2, Rome hosted the NCC Network Day, organized with the support of the Italian National Agency for Cybersecurity (ACN). The event brought together representatives of national focal points from EU member states, the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) and the Italian diplomatic corps.

The key topics of discussion were the ongoing implementation of projects under the Digital Europe Program, deepening cooperation between national focal points, and the formation of a common cyber community space and a Strategic Advisory Group at the ECCC.

The event was attended by Natalia Tkachuk, Secretary of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

During the session “Ukraine: Three Years of Warfare”, the Ukrainian side outlined the key challenges faced by our country in the field of cybersecurity, as well as lessons learned from the experience of countering aggression in cyberspace.

"The European cyber community has consistently demonstrated solidarity with Ukraine, in particular in the format of sharing practical knowledge and experience. It is extremely important for us to be a part of this process, especially in the context of the ongoing war. Ukraine not only receives, but also shares unique developments, and thus strengthens common security," said Natalia Tkachuk.

The program of the event included practical discussions in the format of working groups and the search for partners to implement international projects.

As part of the visit to Rome, the Ukrainian delegation also took part in the 13th meeting of the ECCC Governing Board, which took place on July 2-3.

The cooperation between Ukraine and the ECCC was initiated by the NCCC in April 2024 and formalized by the Memorandum of Understanding between the NCCC and the ECCC, signed on March 10 this year. This document ensures constant interaction with the European cyber community through the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

During the meeting, Nataliia Tkachuk presented to the Steering Committee members the issue of expanding Ukraine's participation in the ECCC community, in particular, including Ukraine in the network of ECCC National Focal Points and establishing a national NCC-UA center on the basis of the NCCC, as well as Ukraine's accession to ECCC information exchange platforms and funding programs.

In addition, Natalia Tkachuk emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation by establishing a joint Center of Competence for Cyber Resilience in Ukraine with the involvement of partner countries.

“Such an expansion of cooperation will be a win-win strategy that will help strengthen Europe's collective cybersecurity against common threats,” she emphasized.

The Center will focus on developing comprehensive measures to counter Russian aggression in cyberspace, for the first time considering cyberattacks, special information operations (disinformation) and acts of sabotage by Russia (such as damage to undersea Internet cables and other critical network infrastructure). Its activities will include: information exchange, research and training, as well as the creation of a cyber laboratory and joint response teams. The center will be equipped with artificial intelligence, which will be trained on unique Ukrainian data from the battlefield and the ongoing cyber war.

The participants of the meeting expressed their readiness to facilitate the implementation of the initiatives of the Ukrainian side and demonstrated their unwavering support for the Ukrainian people in countering the full-scale aggressive Russian war, which continues in cyberspace.

During the visit to Rome, the Ukrainian delegation took part in working meetings with representatives of the National Agency for Cybersecurity and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. The parties discussed the current threat landscape as well as priority areas of cooperation. Natalia Tkachuk thanked the Italian side for its support and active participation in the work of the Tallinn Mechanism, which is currently implementing a number of important initiatives to strengthen Ukraine's cyber resilience with Italian assistance.

The parties supported the need to expand cooperation not only at the state level, but also to create an enabling environment for the implementation of joint projects between the Ukrainian and Italian private sectors and businesses, which will contribute to the development of the cybersecurity ecosystem of Ukraine and Italy.

The Italian side demonstrated its unwavering support for Ukraine.