Countering cyber threats for drone manufacturers

A meeting with manufacturers of unmanned systems was held in Kyiv to discuss current cyber threats and ways to increase the cyber resilience of enterprises in the defense-industrial complex. The event was organized by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, in coordination with the main state cybersecurity stakeholders. During the meeting, representatives of state authorities informed manufacturers about key cyber threats and presented available support mechanisms, including free cybersecurity services and tools designed to enhance the protection level of enterprises.

The event was opened by Valerii Churkin, Deputy Head of the Staff of the NSDC of Ukraine, who emphasized that unmanned and robotic systems are among the priority targets of enemy interest.

“Cybersecurity has gone beyond the digital dimension. The compromise of information systems, firmware, or supply chains has physical consequences — from the disruption of combat missions to threats to human life. Cyber protection of unmanned systems manufacturers is a component of Ukraine’s national security,” he noted.

During the meeting, representatives of the security and defense sector briefed participants on the current cyber threat landscape. It was emphasized that the Russian Federation systematically combines cyberattacks, information operations, and kinetic strikes, paying particular attention to compromising manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech solutions. The main objectives of such operations are the theft of technical documentation and data, substitution of software and firmware, and obtaining information on logistics and the use of unmanned systems by the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for Cybersecurity and Cloud Technologies Vitalii Balashov stressed the importance of a systematic organizational approach to cyber protection, as well as the development of cooperation between the state, manufacturers, and private cybersecurity companies. According to him, engaging specialized businesses and building partnerships in the field of cybersecurity is an important factor in increasing the resilience of the sector.

“You create solutions that directly affect the state’s defense capability. Therefore, you can no longer choose which risks to accept for your business. Being secure is your responsibility. For its part, the state is ready to help and to engage the capabilities of reliable private partners in the field of cybersecurity,” he emphasized.

Special attention was paid to issues of regulatory framework and the implementation of baseline cybersecurity requirements for manufacturers and suppliers. Director of the Defense Procurement Agency Arsen Zhumadilov noted that the cyber resilience of contractors is an important element of long-term cooperation with the state.

“We are gradually moving toward making cybersecurity requirements an integral part of relations in the field of defense procurement. This is not about complicating business operations, but about reducing risks and protecting our shared result,” he stressed.

Summing up the meeting, Nataliia Tkachuk, Head of the Information Security and Cyber Protection Department of the NSDC Staff and Secretary of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center, emphasized that cyber protection of unmanned systems manufacturers is critically important in the context of war.

“Cybersecurity of your systems is not only a matter of business process resilience. In the conditions of armed aggression, it is a matter of national security and Ukraine’s defense capability. That is why the state is ready to provide support — from free technical services to threat intelligence and personnel training. At the same time, the active stance of the manufacturers themselves and their readiness for cooperation remain key,” she noted.

We thank the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and the Defense Procurement Agency for their participation in the event and their significant contribution to strengthening the cyber resilience of defense-industrial complex enterprises.

The participants agreed to further establish a permanent cooperation group between state authorities and unmanned systems manufacturers for оперативний exchange of information on cyber threats, coordination of incident response, and increasing the overall cyber resilience of the sector. The main message of the meeting was clear and unequivocal: cybersecurity of drone manufacturers is an integral component of the state’s cybersecurity.