Ukraine strengthens its cyberterrorism response system

Ukraine continues to build its capabilities in the field of cybersecurity and cyberterrorism response.

This was stated by Serhiy Demedyuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, during the opening of command and staff exercises on countering cyberterrorism organized by the Security Service of Ukraine with the support of CRDF Global.

"We must create an effective system to counter cyberterrorism. Today, Russia's cyberattacks against Ukraine have all the hallmarks of cyberterrorism. Despite the existence of a definition of this term in legislation, we lack sufficient organizational, legal, and procedural tools for systematic counteraction. Therefore, it is important to consolidate our resources and develop practical algorithms for interaction," Serhiy Demedyuk emphasized.

The purpose of these TTH exercises is to develop joint algorithms for the response of state bodies to simulated acts of cyber-physical terrorism, to strengthen preparedness for crisis situations, and to increase the resilience of critical infrastructure facilities to multi-domain threats. The initiative to conduct TTH was launched by the NCSCС in 2021 as an effective tool for developing interagency coordination in the field of cyber defense, and today this format is being successfully developed by other state agencies.

The training sessions, moderated by Natalia Tkachuk, Head of the Information and Cybersecurity Service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and Secretary of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center, were attended by cybersecurity experts from the security and defense sector, representatives of government agencies, the private sector, and critical infrastructure facilities.

“The aggressor country is constantly attacking our state in cyberspace. In 2025 alone, SBU specialists repelled more than 2,300 cyberattacks by the enemy. We have taken significant steps to strengthen cyber resilience and are constantly improving our skills,” said Serhiy Naumyuk, Deputy Head of the SBU and Brigadier General.

In addition to the practical part, the event included panel discussions on current challenges in cybersecurity and new response models. The forum brought together representatives of the public and private sectors, the defense industry, scientists, and experts.

"Cyber threats are always there, because the enemy has evolved from local cyberattacks to complex campaigns with real consequences for society. That's why we need training like this—to check how ready our systems are and to strengthen cooperation between different sectors. Our joint preparation today determines how resilient Ukraine will be tomorrow," concluded Volodymyr Karastelov, Head of the SBU's Cybersecurity Department.