Ukraine’s first CISO Forum: developing a new cybersecurity leadership role

The State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP) and the e-Governance Academy (eGA) held the first CISO Forum in Kyiv on 2 October, bringing together cybersecurity leaders from the public and private sectors. Supported by the EU-funded project Continued EU Support to Cybersecurity (EU4CyberUA), the Forum focused on strengthening the role of CISOs in Ukraine and identifying practical steps to advance cybersecurity leadership and cooperation.

The position of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) was introduced into Ukrainian legislation in 2025. Establishing the role in law was an important step, but putting it into practice requires qualified professionals, a clear understanding of where the CISO fits within an organisation’s management structure, practical tools for the job, and a professional environment for exchanging experience.

The first CISO Forum focused on the practical realities of the role. It brought together representatives of central government institutions, regional military administrations, the private sector, international partners, and the expert community to discuss the challenges CISOs already face and how the role can further develop in Ukraine.

“CISOs and their teams must adopt a systematic approach to cybersecurity: assessing risks, setting priorities, and ensuring organisational readiness for cyber incidents. To achieve this, a cybersecurity lead must possess the necessary expertise and sufficient authority to act. Our mission is to foster an environment where this role genuinely bolsters the cyber resilience of government agencies and other organisations. A critical factor in reaching this goal is building a robust professional community and maintaining a constant, effective dialogue between those who set the regulations and those who implement them. The CISO Forum should serve as a key platform, bringing us all together annually to exchange insights,” stated Volodymyr Trofymenko, Deputy Chairman of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP), during his address at the forum.

 

The development of the CISO role reflects a broader shift in cybersecurity, from responding to individual technical threats to managing cyber risks systematically across the entire organisation. This model requires clear lines of responsibility, the integration of cybersecurity into management processes, and consideration of cyber risks in decision-making. By advancing this approach, Ukraine is also moving closer to European cybersecurity practices.

“Strong cyber risk management is an integral part of the resilience of a modern state. The European Union supports Ukraine not only in strengthening its technical capabilities, but also in developing professional expertise and effective cybersecurity governance. The development of the CISO role is an important part of this work”, said Asier Santillan Luzuriaga, Head of Section at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.

 

Alongside the introduction of the CISO position, Ukraine is building a system for the professional development of cybersecurity leaders. CISO Campus develops the management and professional competencies required for the role, combining training with practical cases and the experience of cybersecurity professionals. The Forum continued this work by bringing the professional community together and creating opportunities for direct peer-to-peer exchange. Further development of CISO Campus will also require expanding training opportunities to reach more CISOs across Ukraine.

“We are seeing strong demand for professional CISO training, and the next step is to make it available to more specialists. This requires additional expertise, people and resources. With Ukraine at war and public resources focused on critical priorities, support from international partners is particularly important for the continued development of CISO Campus and for expanding training opportunities,” said Ieva Ilves, CEO of CISO Campus.

The practical sessions focused on issues CISOs are already dealing with in their day-to-day work, including cyber incident response, the work of CERT-UA, regional cyber resilience, and the protection of state information resources. These issues are particularly important for Ukraine, where CISOs are working amid a full-scale war and countering cyber threats is directly linked to the continuity of critical systems and services.

“Ukraine has already accumulated exceptionally valuable experience in countering cyber threats under real-world conditions. Through EU4CyberUA, eGA experts can build on this experience by sharing international best practices, practical tools and new opportunities for the professional development of CISOs. Bringing these elements together strengthens both cybersecurity professionals and the organisations they protect,” said Taimar Peterkop, Project Team Leader of the EUCyber4UA at eGA.

 

The second day continued the professional discussion with CSIRT Day, focusing on the regional dimension of cybersecurity. Participants discussed the development of regional cybersecurity centres, their cooperation with CERT-UA, and the involvement of regional teams in delivering services at the national level.

The first CISO Forum marked another step from establishing the CISO role in legislation towards developing it in practice and building a professional CISO community in Ukraine.

The first CISO Forum was organised as part of the EU-funded project Continued EU Support to Cybersecurity (EU4CyberUA). Running from 2026 to 2029 with a budget of €10 million, the project supports Ukraine in strengthening its national cyber resilience and aligning with European cybersecurity standards. It is implemented by FIAP and eGA in close cooperation with SSSCIP.