USAID plans to invest up to $38 mln in Ukraine’s cybersecurity

The first USD 8 million has already been provided to the Ukrainian side, the Department of State reported following the results of the third cyber dialogue in Kyiv on March 3, 2020.

"As a demonstration of its continued commitment to supporting cybersecurity, the United States announced an additional USD 8 million from the Department of State in cybersecurity assistance on top of the USD 10 million pledged in 2017," the statement reads.

Part of this funding will support the U.S. Agency for International Development’s new cybersecurity project, which plans to invest up to USD 38 million over four years, to build Ukraine’s cybersecurity capabilities through support for legal and regulatory reform, cyber workforce development, and private sector engagement.

Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation presented the National Police of Ukraine Cyber Police and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine with a Director’s Certificate for their unrelenting efforts in conjunction with the FBI to arrest and extradite cybercriminals who operated freely in Ukraine for many years.

During the meeting, representatives of the United States and Ukraine discussed recent national cybersecurity policy developments, 5G security concerns, cyber capacity building, and international cyber policy issues, including engagements in multilateral fora and policies around public attribution. 

The delegations reviewed ongoing and proposed U.S. cybersecurity assistance projects developed in concert with relevant Ukrainian agencies and stakeholders, including strengthening critical infrastructure cybersecurity; cyber strategy development and implementation; enhancing cyber defense, incident response, and information sharing capabilities; raising cybersecurity awareness for all stakeholders; and providing training on securing industrial control systems and digital forensics.

These projects complement U.S.-Ukraine cooperation on other cybersecurity matters.

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