Cyber resilience of public information resources and critical information infrastructure depends not only on the prerequisites to be provided by the Government, but also on efficient defenses to be created at each individual institution.

To foster cybersecurity enhancement capabilities at public institutions, the SSSCIP together with the EU-funded Project «Support to comprehensive public administration reform in Ukraine» (EU4PAR) and the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service (NAUCS) has conducted the initial training on cybersecurity building at public institutions for category A public officials. The training is certified by the Higher School of Public Management.

The training curriculum is oriented on those managers who are to become cybersecurity leaders at their institutions. The purpose is to make the trainees aware of the threat specifics in the Ukrainian cyberspace, having grown significantly due to the ongoing russian cyber aggression against Ukraine, as well as the managers’ role in cybersecurity enhancement; to offer the tools that would help increase their institutions’ cyber resilience even where funding is scarce; and to familiarize them with the cyber defense structure being built by the Government.

The training was carried out by the SSSCIP leadership, leading cybersecurity experts of the private sector and the best Ukrainian information security specialists.

«Russian hackers’ cyberattacks in the context of the ongoing full-scale war contribute to the crimes of russian troops in our land. Their primary targets are central and local public authorities. So, it’s essential for us not only to create favorable conditions for each institution to ensure its own cyber defense, but also to teach them how to use the available tools in the most efficient manner. That’s exactly why we’re conducting these trainings. I’d like to congratulate everyone on completion of the initial course. As top managers, you are to become change agents at your institutions and, consequently, in the entire country,» the SSSCIP Deputy Head Oleksandr Potii pointed out.

«The SSSCIP Cyber Defense Program is a unique product based on the practical cyber resistance experience in the real-time cyberwar. The Program is taught by those who actually defend Ukraine and the whole civilized world from russian hacking attacks every day. Their knowledge and skills are crucial for enhancing resilience of Ukraine, especially its public service. When we mention this program to our colleagues in other European countries, they all say just «We need this too!», the EU4PAR Project Manager Ugis Sics commented.

To date, the SSSCIP together with EU4PAR and NAUCS have started enrolment to a new cybersecurity course for experts directly in charge of cyberdefense at public institutions. It aims to familiarize the trainees with the cybersecurity ecosystem of the country and the national legislation on cyberdefence that is being enacted at the moment.