Women Step Up to Defend Ukraine’s Cyberspace
September 05, 2025
On 4 September, the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCSCC) under the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) organised a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition for women – a one-day immersive cybersecurity event specifically designed for female professionals in the field. The event was opened by EUAM Head of Operations, Lynn Sheehan, and NCSCC Secretary, Nataliia Tkachuk.
The event sought to address the gender gap in cybersecurity by offering women hands-on training, networking opportunities, and practical experience in responding to advanced cyber threats. The CTF focused on building critical incident response skills, with particular emphasis on Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks and the use of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity.
Opening the event, Nataliia Tkachuk underlined the importance of the National Initiative, aimed at supporting gender balance, strengthening education and professional communities, and thanked partners for their support in its development.
In her welcoming remarks, Lynn Sheehan stressed that involving women in cybersecurity is a key factor in strengthening Ukraine’s democratic institutions and security, and that the NCSCC initiative could serve as an example for other countries.
At the same time, NCSCC and EUAM held the workshop “From Dream to Career: The Female Journey in Cybersecurity”, which brought together representatives of the public and private sectors, young professionals, and academia to discuss challenges related to gender balance in the field. The workshop and CTF jointly aimed at generating practical ideas that could be implemented by the state – through legislative changes, policy development, and regulation – to expand women’s leadership in cybersecurity.
