The International Center for Defence and Security (ICDS) within the framework of the “Resilient Ukraine” programme in cooperation with the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security presented the research at Ukrinform press centre.

Experts have analysed gaps in information, communication and digital security of residents of the South and East of Ukraine under conditions of Russia’s aggressive policy.

«The research will help to elaborate practical steps in countering threats on the part of Russia that has already occupied a part of [Ukrainian] territory and continues to threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty. The research helped to identify a number of destructive factors that exist in favourable conditions in information and communication domains of our society», – said Ihor Solovey, the head of the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security.

The research also focuses on numerous internal threats. They are presented in four spheres, namely in digital, communication, cognitive and information security. 

«We described socio-political and socio-psychological situation in Southern and Eastern oblasts of Ukraine very concisely considering these regions as the most vulnerable to harmful influence and as regions where combination of external and internal factors, that threaten security, manifest themselves in the worst combinations possible», – noted Dmitri Teperik, “Resilient Ukraine” program Director and Chief Executive of the International Center for Defence and Security (Tallinn, Estonia). 

Experts believe that not only war but also the pandemic with its quarantine and restrictive measures influences behavioural functions of a society. 

«If a community finds itself in a homogeneous environment for 2,5 years, then its cognitive changes become irreversible. Ukrainian society is changing dramatically concerning its cognitive functions but because it is happening to everyone simultaneously, we personally do not notice this», – believes Oleh Pokalchuk, the social and military psychologist, writer and columnist, “Resilient Ukraine” programme expert. 

The research has also discovered a careless attitude of local residents in the South and East of the country towards protection of personal data and their privacy. 

«People do not know what to do in crisis situations and what algorithm to adopt in case of e-mail or account breach. Residents of the South and East of Ukraine lack understanding of the scale of damage from breaches of databases in public agencies and private companies. It shows poor culture of understanding the value of personal data», – indicated Anastasiia Apetyk, the expert on information rights and digital security, co-founder of civil society organization MINZMIN. 

The experts believe that gaps in information, communication, cognitive and digital security, which have been discovered based on the research findings, will help residents of the South and East of Ukraine to strengthen resilience at local, regional and national levels.

H.E. Kaimo Kuusk, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to Ukraine; Ksenia Iliuk, the analyst at the “Detector Media” and “Resilient Ukraine”, and Illia Miroshkin, the National Coordinator of the “Resilient Ukraine” programme also took part in the event.

You may read the research “Resilient Ukraine – a Delicate Mosaic?” via the link (in Ukrainian).  

Source: Ukrinform.