The United States has limited assistance to Ukraine in the field of cyber security, including its ability to defend itself against Russian cyber attacks. About this informs Bloomberg.
Over the past five years, the United States Agency for International Development has provided over $200 million in cybersecurity assistance to Ukraine. The US National Security Agency and the US Cyber Command also contributed to the support. Thanks to this assistance, Ukraine was able to fend off Russian attacks on state resources, telecommunications companies, and power plants, and to carry out recovery after the attacks.
Contracts with dozens of specialists who provided technical assistance in cyber security at hundreds of facilities throughout Ukraine were canceled or suspended. In addition, the planned deliveries of computer equipment and software for the protection of Ukrainian infrastructure were not implemented.
According to Yehor Aushev, a Ukrainian cybersecurity expert who has organized a volunteer “cyber army” to counter Russian hackers, the reduction in support will leave Ukraine an “easy target” for Russia. He noted that the sudden and unannounced shutdown of cyber operations “created a serious problem.”
Andriy Mankish, another Ukrainian cybersecurity expert who has worked on US-funded projects to detect Russian hacking attacks, said the US administration’s decision is likely to “impact our efforts and slow down progress in key areas.”
“Many projects were stopped midway, contractors were let go before they finished work, and many plans didn’t have a chance to reach their full potential.” he added.
US funding was the largest source of support for Ukraine in the field of cyber security. Since the start of a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, USAID funding for cyber projects has increased due to increased attacks on Ukrainian networks.
The governments of Canada, Great Britain and Japan are trying to compensate for the support that the United States refused. However, the scale of American aid has been so great that it will be difficult to completely replace it. At the same time, any additional boost in support is valuable, the sources said. Ukraine also continues to receive aid from the private sector.
