From November 2 to 9, specialists from State Scientific and Research Institute of Cybersecurity Technologies and Information Protection (ICTIP), participated in a week-long internship in Berlin (Germany) as part of the Partnership for Strengthening Cybersecurity project.

The purpose of the internship was to exchange experience in the field of cybersecurity and to develop practical skills for interaction between government officials, scientific institutions, businesses, and international partners. Special attention was paid to coordinating actions in the sectors of critical infrastructure, energy, healthcare, digitalization, and countering disinformation.

As part of the “Beyond Firewalls: Protecting Critical Services and Democratic Processes Against Cyber Threats & AI-Driven Disinformation” program, participants simulated crisis scenarios involving critical infrastructure damage, practiced responding to cyberattacks, and analyzed the effectiveness of interagency coordination. Such exercises help to improve the readiness of government agencies and emphasize the importance of shared responsibility in the field of cybersecurity.

During the internship, there was an exchange of experiences with German partners on crisis response, considering Ukraine’s real-life experiences, and discussions on the directions of institutional changes to improve the speed of decision-making and coordination.

In addition, a representative of the ICTIP held a working meeting with representatives of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg on the need to combine efforts to counter disinformation in the context of socio-political and technical aspects. Contacts were also established with specialists from Hessen3C (CyberCompetenceCenter) at the Hessian Ministry of the Interior (on security and internal security issues).

The knowledge and contacts gained will contribute to the further development of Ukraine’s international partnership in the field of cybersecurity and the implementation of best practices to strengthen the country’s digital resilience.