ENSURING INFORMATION SECURITY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the problems of ensuring information security by law enforcement agencies of Ukraine under martial law. The paper analyzes various scholarly approaches to defining the concept of «information security» and emphasizes the lack of a unified legal definition, which creates terminological ambiguity and complicates law enforcement practice. The analysis of the legal framework includes the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Laws «On Information», «On Personal Data Protection», «On the Basic Principles of Ensuring Cybersecurity in Ukraine», as well as relevant articles of the Criminal Code that establish liability for cybercrime.

Particular attention is paid to the analysis of cybercrime statistics for 2020–2024. The study reveals significant fluctuations in the number of registered offenses and the effectiveness of pre-trial investigations. The sharpest decline was observed in 2023, which is explained by the overload of law enforcement agencies due to the large-scale increase in cyberattacks, shortage of qualified personnel, and difficulties in obtaining digital evidence in cross-border cases. At the same time, 2024 showed certain improvements, primarily due to the strengthening of the Cyber Police’s operational capacities and the adaptation of investigative methodologies.

The research highlights key challenges in the practical activities of law enforcement agencies: asymmetry between central and regional units, shortage of technical digital forensics tools, lack of unified incident management procedures, delays in international cooperation, and the high latency of cyber fraud cases. It is noted that the majority of cybercrimes remain unresolved due to the weakness of asset blocking mechanisms and procedural delays in cooperation with international service providers.

The article concludes that the effective provision of information security by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies is possible only through a comprehensive approach that combines legislative harmonization, personnel development, technological modernization, and sustainable international cooperation.