Russia's hybrid aggression obliges Ukraine to strengthen cyber security and train qualified specialists to counter the modern threats.

This was the underlying point at the international conference organized by the SBU National Academy with the SBU Department of Cyber Security. Representatives of the EU Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform and diplomats joined the discussion.

"To manipulate public opinion, Russia conducts psychological operations - one of the most dangerous means of hybrid warfare. Recognizing these challenges, the Academy is enhancing cyber specialists’ trainings," emphasized Andrii Cherniak, the rector of the Academy.

According to the SBU, the Russian special services use the following means to carry out hybrid aggression against Ukraine:

• cyber attacks on state information resources, telecommunications and strategic communication facilities;
• creation of propaganda resources and promotion of Russian agitprops;
• blocking by Roskomnadzor of Ukrainian foreign-hosted websites that cover Russian aggression in Donbas;
• spreading fakes and propaganda of terrorist activities via social networks;
• coordinated work of troll farms;
• "telephone terrorism", i.e. hoax bomb threats to Ukrainian infrastructure facilities.

"All these steps may seem inconsistent to an outside observer. However, our experience shows that such acts of hybrid aggression are coordinated, systematically implemented and pursue a single destructive goal. Our task is to comprehensively counteract such threats,” explained Oleksii Korniichuk, chief of the SBU Cyber Security Department.

He stressed that the SBU is currently focused on seizing the initiative in the information confrontation with the Russian special services.

In the last six months, SBU cyber specialists exposed 16 Internet agitators, blocked eight troll farms with over 35,000 accounts and 58 web resources, spreading fake news and destructive content.

During this period, 21 criminal proceedings were initiated against encroachments on the territorial integrity of Ukraine and calls for a violent change of the constitutional order. The suspicions were announced to 19 persons.