The fight against cybercrime in the conditions of the war in Ukraine

Abstract

The article is a study of the peculiarities of the fight against cybercrime in the conditions of war in Ukraine. In particular, it was found out that cybercrime should be understood as a set of crimes committed in virtual space with the help of computer systems or by using computer networks and other means of access to virtual space, within, as well as against computer systems, computer networks and computer data. The concept of “cybercrime” covers the range of criminal offenses in the virtual environment, and its use is provided for by international law. It was determined that, in this connection, the old models of fighting crime need to be improved. Due to the fact that cybercrime is a transnational and cross-border phenomenon, international cooperation, development and implementation of international legal instruments play a decisive role in the fight against it. Since the beginning of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in order to prevent the growth of the level of cybercrime, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine on Improving the Effectiveness of Combating Cybercrime in Martial Law”, which entered into force on March 24, 2022. The changes made to the Criminal Code of Ukraine strengthened the liability for unauthorized interference in the operation of electronic systems, depending on their consequences. It has been studied that the cyber war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine showed the importance of uniting the international community to counter aggression in cyberspace. Joining forces with partners has become one of the pillars of successfully countering enemy cyberattacks. This experience should be disseminated and become the basis for the formation of a collective system of cyber protection of the democratic world. International acts promote joint actions to combat cybercrime and make the exchange of experience and information about cyber incidents faster and more effective. It is also worth mentioning the following fact: currently, cybercrime is directed at specific economic goods (money, securities, etc). Therefore, society definitely needs protection against cybercrime, because any person can become a victim of criminals under any circumstances of life.