Kyiv, Ukraine — Far from dramatic headlines, military maneuvers, and diplomatic threats, a silent war appears to already be unfolding in Ukrainian cyberspace.

But Ukraine’s cyberdefense lacks key security practices and measures that leave systems vulnerable to known exploits already in use by cybercriminals, experts told The Record. 

There is no sustainable, centralized, and automated patch management processes, or use of proactive threat intelligence to secure state institutions, according to experts from Ukraine-based cybersecurity firm CyberSEALs. Instead, many IT processes still reflect Soviet heritage—with a long line of decision-making hierarchy, low budgeting, and a lack of well-established information security processes.

Developing closer cooperation between governmental agencies, the expert community, and business representatives may be key to improving security. Unfortunately, government agencies try to solve issues behind the scenes instead of relying on experts from the private sector, sticking to a post-Soviet mentality where vulnerability is perceived as a weakness. 

Find out more at The Record