The EU Support: The Study Tour on Cybersecurity

Against the background of unjustified and unprovoked russian aggression, it’s vital to increasingly develop cybersecurity and data protection. The risks are significant and real, especially when it comes down to cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.

The European Union continues to support Ukraine in this extremely challenging period. EU4DigitalUA organised a study tour on cybersecurity to Madrid for Ukrainian public authorities to exchange the experience regarding the implementation of the national cyber security strategy.

Maria Gaston Betran, FIIAPP Technical Institutional Coordinator of EU4DigitalUA notes: “EU4DigitalUA is glad to support Ukrainian experts and provide an opportunity to exchange with Spanish colleagues on the best practices in cybersecurity. Our deep commitment to support Ukraine in protecting data and building tailored cyber resilience will continue”. 

The participants from State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine had an opportunity to visit CCN National Cryptologic Centre of Spain, Madrid City Council, National Centre for Protection of Critical Infrastructure, and other organisations. Spanish colleagues shared their experience in the area of cybersecurity, having demonstrated their approach as well as discussed cyber protection technologies used to ensure the cyber protection of Spanish government bodies.

“Such visits are not “courtesy visits”. These are trips that have a practical effect. Representatives of the Ukrainian delegation established direct contacts with representatives of Spanish organisations, discussed issues of strengthening cooperation and exchange of experience in response to cyber incidents and cyberattacks, implementation of joint scientific and applied projects, interaction of CERT and SOC teams,” says Yevhen Bryksin, Deputy Head of the Government Response Team on Computer Emergencies of Ukraine (CERT-UA).

The information obtained as a result of the study tour will be used for further experience sharing and practical interaction in the field of responding to cyber incidents, cyber protection of state organisations, and critical information infrastructure facilities.