The State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine and the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on May 5, 2023.

For the sake of an unbiased and reliable examination of the quality of training of relevant specialists in educational institutions, representatives of the State Special Service will be involved as experts of the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education.

In addition, when conducting an examination of educational and professional programs (OPP) in the field of cyber security and information protection, including at critical infrastructure facilities, special attention will be paid to the targeting and coincidence of the OPP with a specific profession.Recently, the boundaries of educational programs in educational institutions have somewhat blurred, a number of universities have begun to open OPP with the prefix "cyber security" and professional qualifications, which do not exist, in diplomas. Such prefixes attract entrants, but often make it impossible to train professional specialists who are needed by the real sector and who have the right to occupy relevant positions according to the classification of occupations of Ukraine. This was especially true of those willing to join the civil service, special cyber defense units, banks, etc.

Now the situation is being corrected. A new national framework of professional qualifications in the field of cyber security and information protection was created on the initiative of the State Special Communications Service. Professions have been harmonized with international standards. Six of the most relevant professional standards have already been developed, covering 14 positions of different levels in the field of cyber security and information protection. All other standards are under development; and leading universities, which maintain their own reputation and have set a high professional level of graduates as their main goal, can already this fall implement modified OPPs in accordance with a specific profession in the industry.

The State Special Communications Service is open to cooperation with such educational institutions of any form of ownership and is ready to advise on the specifics and detailed content of specific standards and professions. At the same time, when a full cycle of training is completed in active higher education institutions, for example, a bachelor’s degree for OKH, with constant control and monitoring by the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education and State Special Communications, with the high-quality work of experts during the accreditation of the OPP, the real sector will receive such graduates who will immediately be able to work with high efficiency.