British spies have been shown to have played a key role in defending Ukraine from widespread Russian cyberattacks since the intrusion began.
damage caused Russian Leo Docherty, junior foreign minister, said the hacking would be “very important” without the help of the UK.
He told Sky News that the UK had also beefed up its own cyber defences due to “a very significant cyber threat from Russia”.
“We are already on the front lines… we are aware of the threat. We have increased our preparedness and our defences,” Mr Docherty said.
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“That’s why we have some deep expertise in cyber defense, and that’s why we’re excited to share it with our Ukrainian allies.”
Officials said Britain had made its cyber support public because it no longer felt the need to keep it secret — a sign the Kremlin was aware of it.
The so-called Ukrainian cyber scheme, worth around £6.35m, was launched after President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out war on February 24.
Physical strikes of Russian troops and tanks Ukraine The targeting has been accompanied by a significant increase in cyberattacks, officials said.
The failure to deal any major blow to cyberspace is not because Russian hackers didn’t try, but is believed to be because Ukrainian cyber defenders, with the support of cyber industry experts and foreign governments including the UK, have defeated or limited their efforts influences.
Britain said it was playing a leading role in helping the Ukrainian government respond to cyberattacks and protect its networks and classified information.
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The UK support draws on the expertise of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of GCHQ.
NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron said in a statement that her center “is proud to have played a role in supporting Ukraine’s cyber defenders.
They are as impressively defended against Russian aggression in cyberspace as they are on the physical battlefield.”
Mr Docherty played down any suggestion that Britain’s decision to help Ukraine online could be seen by Russia as direct intervention in the war.
“I think it’s a very honorable thing, not an escalation thing,” he said.
Instead, he likened it to actual but indirect British support in supplying Ukrainian forces with weapons such as artillery and anti-tank missiles.
“The Ukrainians are at the forefront of the fight when it comes to defending their homeland… We have provided some supplies and expertise to allow them to do that very, very effectively.”
Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said: “UK support for Ukraine is not limited to military aid – we are using the UK’s world-leading expertise to support Ukraine’s cyber defences.
“Together we will ensure that the Kremlin is defeated in every field: land, air and cyberspace.”
The UK has also provided hardware and software to bolster Ukraine’s cyber defences, including firewalls to prevent attacks and prevent denial of service attacks to ensure people can still access vital information and services.
Additionally, support involves forensic capabilities so Ukrainian cyber analysts can better understand who attacked them and how.