Ensuring Cybersecurity During Military Operations in Ukraine

Ensuring Cybersecurity During Military Operations in Ukraine Tetiana Kozak Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine kozak.tetiana@khnpp.atom.gov.ua Introduction Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russian forces into Ukraine, the war is being waged not only on the frontlines but also in the informational space. The aggressor nation seeks to inflict as much harm as possible, employing psychological pressure on people, cyber espionage, phishing attacks, DoS/DDoS attacks, violating the confidentiality and integrity of personal data, and disrupting electronic service delivery. One recent example of a cyberattack is the hacker attack on Ukraine’s state registries on December 19, 2024. As a result, the operation of the Unified and State Registers of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine was suspended. Thus, establishing a modern and effective system to counter cyber threats is a crucial component of Ukraine’s national security. Results The main areas of work to ensure cybersecurity of the corporate network are: Network segmentation; Setting up two-factor authentication; Restricting data flows between network segments and access to network equipment through control lists; Deactivating and assigning unused equipment ports to inactive VLANs; Monitoring anomalous events using open-source solutions, enabling prediction, prevention, and rapid response to potential cyber threats; Training and consulting with users to prevent cyber incidents, among other measures. In our practice, we encounter various cyber incidents such as spam, DDoS attacks, account compromises, and more. Also, due to a significant amount of obsolete and unmanaged equipment, certain areas of the network remain insufficiently controlled. Thanks to the prompt response of system administrators and the responsible attitudes of users, we manage to avoid unwanted consequences. Conclusion Our experience is an example of ensuring cybersecurity during wartime. I firmly believe that Ukraine will achieve victory not only on the battlefield but also in the informational space. Because light always triumphs over darkness.