Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not been limited to the military battlefield. The war extends to cyberspace and attacks against the critical infrastructure relied on by both Ukrainian civilians and official government institutions. According to Ukraine’s cybersecurity agency, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP), the country’s government and local authorities, especially defense agencies, are the key sectors that have been targeted the most during the first months of the war. The list of industry sectors heavily impacted by cyberattacks also includes financial, telecom, infrastructure, and energy.

SSCIP’s data aligns with a report published by Microsoft in April in which the company said it detected multiple Russian hacking groups targeting the country’s infrastructure and Ukrainian citizens in hundreds of attacks aiming to deploy destructive malware on critical systems and disrupt civilian access to reliable information and critical life services. The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) also observed threat groups linked to the GRU, SVR, and FSB Russian intelligence services intensifying their attacks against Ukraine.

How can Ukraine harden its critical infrastructure in cyberspace as Russian attacks continue? What more can the United States and its allies do to support Ukraine’s cyber defenses? Given its experience battling Russia in cyberspace, what are the lessons-learned that Ukraine can now share with its partners?

Ambassador John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, moderates a roundtable discussion with some of Ukraine’s key figures in defending cyber infrastructure, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov and Deputy Chairman of Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection Viktor Zhora.

Please note that participation in this event requires completion of a mandatory COVID-19 screening form, to be sent via email 24 hours prior to the roundtable.