At the end of last week, the Ministry of Defence, the Estonian Defence League’s Cyber Defence Unit, Estonian Defence Forces Cyber Command, and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) made a joint visit to Ukraine. The delegation met with the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, the Military Signal Corps and Cyber Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, and the Security Service of Ukraine.
The parties discussed the organisation and overall state of Ukraine’s national cyber security, including the recent large-scale cyber-attacks against Ukraine and their impact on the current security situation. Experiences in combating cyber-attacks were also exchanged and further steps were discussed to enhance our cyber cooperation. “Estonia is ready to send cyber specialists to Ukraine to further develop this exchange,” explained Margus Matt, Undersecretary responsible for cyber affairs at the Ministry of Defence. The undersecretary added that supporting Ukraine is a priority for Estonia and that “By supporting Ukraine, we are also strengthening our own defence posture.”
The Estonian delegation also expressed continued support for Ukraine’s accession to the CCDCOE.
“Ukraine has unique experience in combating hybrid threats. Sharing it will help to improve both the knowledge and readiness to face such threats in each Member State of CCDCOE individually and in NATO as a whole,” said Director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).
Yuri Shchigol, head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, said that membership in the CCDCOE would allow for an even better exchange of cyber defence information with partners, and help to better stand against the threats facing Ukraine. According to Shchigol, Ukraine has made significant progress in digital development in recent years, adding that “It is now our job to maintain what we have achieved and develop it based on your experience.”
Additional information: [email protected]