A large part of cyberattacks are intended to influence, which is why we can no longer address them solely in the cyber space, but we must integrate them into the information space, Serhii Prokopenko, the Head of Operations at the Office of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) within the National Cyber Security Coordination Center (NCSCC), said on Tuesday at the Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference (BCC2025).
Serhii Prokopenko said that Ukraine is currently on the front line and is witnessing the latest tactics and developments in cyber warfare. He pointed out several global trends, noting that many cyberattacks are designed to influence, describing them as information operations enabled by cyber means. In his view, this means cyberattacks can no longer be addressed solely within the cyber space, but must also be understood and countered within the broader information space. Prokopenko argued that this shift is necessary because Russia coordinates its actions across the cyber, information and physical battle domains. He explained that the Russian military doctrine does not separate information operations from cyber operations, and that responses must follow suit. He added that a more proactive approach is needed, as well as a more holistic understanding of the issue. On a technical level, he reported a rise in targeted spear-phishing attacks and said that Russia continues to use wiper attacks for destructive cyber operations, which he described as highly effective. He warned that Russian actors carefully study their targets, identifying critical vulnerabilities in infrastructure in order to maximise the impact of a single strike.
In the same context, the Ukrainian expert underscored that the main priority when discussing the cyber space is technical-level communication.
NSDC Head Prokopenko also said that the Russian approach is a complex and integrated one, involving a fusion between the cyber warfare and the informational - cognitive one. He explained that, at this stage, Russia changes its tactics every six to nine months. According to him, the current main priority is cyber espionage, with efforts focused on extracting as much information as possible from Ukrainian networks. Another key aspect, he said, is the targeting of Ukraine's supply chain, which includes its Western partners. As a result, Russia has largely shifted its focus from Ukraine to its allies, conducting sabotage, informational attacks and cyberattacks.
The 2025 edition of the Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference (BCC2025), which takes place between 6 and 9 October, is organized by the Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC), with the support of the Romanian National Coordination Centre (NCC-RO) and the National Association for Information Systems Security (ANSSI).
AGERPRES National News Agency is one of the media partners of the event.
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