In order the information environment in cyberspace to contribute to the victory of democratic values, it is necessary to change the approaches, – Viktor Berezenko

The world began to develop tools for cyberdiplomatics long before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, but when in January, 22 websites of state bodies and 70 other Ukrainian websites were attacked in one day, it became clear: information warfare in cyberspace is taking place under new rules, and to resist it, it is necessary to unite the efforts of experts from different fields and levels.

Viktor Berezenko, a founder of the Institute of Cognitive Modeling, shared this thought during a speech at the EU Cyber Consultations with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine expert conference in Georgia.

«The digital environment is the fastest tool for spreading information. Analog is becoming less and less in every area – from private life to the work of governments and corporations. Depending on the level, a cyberattack can be simply harmful, or it can completely paralyze the work of corporations or government institutions. Combining cyber and information attacks creates a tool for the potential demoralization of society. And we see these attempts more and more often. Clearly, it’s time to unite the effort of experts in psychology, sociology and information campaigns in this information struggle in cyberspace,» he said.

The cyber world is changing rapidly. Solutions for the most part do not predict problems but analyze the consequences of what has actually already happened. Our life has become hybrid: we spend most of our time in the digital world. That is why it is necessary to predict potential problems and solutions not only in technical areas but also in the human aspect. Cyberspace is not just about computers.

Viktor Berezenko also stressed that it is necessary to change approaches and join forces as soon as possible so that the laws of cyberspace contribute to the victory of democratic values and freedoms to create a safe environment in the long term.