This was announced by Oleksandr Potiy, deputy head of the State Private Communications and Information Protection Service, Ukrinform reported, citing the agency’s press service.

It was noted that Ukraine’s Special Communications and Information Protection State Service conducted the first command and personnel exercises on the stability of critical infrastructure, with the support of the USAID project “Cybersecurity of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure”. Resilience Exercises (CIREX) were developed based on the methodological recommendations of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Agency (CISA).

“These are the first command and personnel trainings we have conducted in collaboration with CISA and taking into account new government resolutions approving a unified system of countermeasures to respond to cyber incidents and their criticality levels. State Intelligence Service. Also, the plans are for operators of critical infrastructure facilities during such exercises. It involves working through all the challenges it faces,” he said.

CIREX’s main objective was to resolve the issues of coordinating efforts to counter cyber threats and repel cyberattacks. Energy industry representatives attended the training throughout the day, who developed mechanisms to respond to ransomware-type cyber-attacks (ransomware programs that fit the current taxonomy of cyber-events).

“Our task is to strengthen their ability to create an effective national system for the protection of critical infrastructure. This is especially important at the moment when Russia deliberately attacks Ukrainian objects on which the normal life of millions of Ukrainians depends.”

As reported, on April 4, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Procedure for responding to cyber incidents and cyber attacks, aimed at strengthening cyber security in Ukraine.