Ukraine and Estonia share expertise to boost critical infrastructure resilience

Russia’s attacks in both physical and cyber space have made protecting critical infrastructure a top priority in Ukraine and across Europe. With the support of ESTDEV and the U.S. Government, e-Governance Academy’s (eGA) experts are helping Ukraine’s SSSCIP strengthen cybersecurity for public authorities and critical infrastructure entities and ensure compliance with newly adopted cybersecurity legislation.

“Strengthening Ukraine’s cybersecurity is of strategic importance not just for Ukraine but also for Estonia, the United States, and all like-minded nations who share a vision of a secure and resilient digital future. The visit was an extremely valuable exchange of experience for both sides. Estonian authorities also have much to learn from Ukraine, whose infrastructure is continuously tested by ongoing attacks,” said Mari Tomingas-Sibul, Project Manager at eGA.

This week, 23 – 25 September, Ukrainian officials from SSSCIP met with Estonian counterparts at the Government Office, the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, Estonian Information System Authority, Estonia’s independent electricity and gas transmission operator Elering, and Estonian Emergency Response Centre to consult on standards, procedures, and management models for critical infrastructure protection, crisis preparedness, and response. They gained insights into the technological platforms and ICT solutions used by the Estonian government and critical infrastructure providers to safeguard essential systems.

Photo: As a pleasant surprise, Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kristen Michael, stopped by in the Government Office to greet the delegation and reaffirm Estonia’s continued support for Ukraine.

“Meetings with Estonian colleagues gave us valuable insights on protecting and managing critical infrastructure. The knowledge gained, together with the broader support of this project, is helping us strengthen digital resilience and safeguard vital services for our citizens, ” said Andrii Shnurkow, Department of Critical Infrastructure Protection, State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.

Our collaboration goes beyond the study visit. In addition, the project provides a series of online and offline trainings to build capacities of public authorities and critical infrastructure entities on critical infrastructure protection.

Through all these joint efforts, Ukraine is strengthening its digital resilience and sharing its own valuable experience with its supporters.