The Department of Combating Cybercrime of the Educational and Research Institute (ERI) No. 4 (Training of specialists in information and analytical support and cybersecurity of the National Police of Ukraine) of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs is a basic structural subdivision of the university, which conducts educational, methodological, as well as research activities to provide fundamental technical training of qualified specialists for the units of the National Police of Ukraine, as well as training of higher education applicants in the field of Employees of the department are involved in conducting classes during the initial professional training and advanced training of police officers.

History of the Department

On April 1, 1995, the Department of Special Equipment was established at the University of Internal Affairs (Kharkiv). On April 01, 1999, on the basis of this department, the Department of Information Protection and Special Equipment of the Faculty No. 3 - Management and Informatics of the University of Internal Affairs appeared, which on June 24, 2006 was reorganized into the Department of Information Security and was subordinated to the Faculty of Psychology, Management, Social and Information Technologies of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs.

In June 2013, the Department was reorganized into the Department of Information Protection and became part of the Faculty of Training for the Units for Combating Cybercrime and Human Trafficking. In August 2016, the department received a new name - Cyber Security.

In June 2019, as a result of the merger of the Department of Information Technology (which was created in February 2017 by combining the Department of Information Security of the Faculty No. 4 with the Department of Information Technology and Information Protection of the Faculty No. 6) and the Department of Cybersecurity of the Faculty No. 4, the Department of Information Technology and Cybersecurity of the Faculty No. 4 was created.

In July 2021, the Department of Information Technology and Cybersecurity of the Faculty  No. 4 was divided into 2 Departments:

- Department of Combating Cybercrime of the Faculty No. 4;

- Department of Cybersecurity and DATA Technologies of the Faculty No. 6.

Since July 2024, the Department of Combating Cybercrime has been included in the ERI No. 4.

Academic work

The academic staff of the Department teaches academic disciplines for students, cadets and trainees studying at the University in the Educational and Research Institutes No. 1-5. The disciplines taught by the department's specialists cover the physical and mathematical block, hardware and technical component, and areas of information and cybersecurity of law enforcement. While studying the disciplines of the department, higher education students also acquire the skills of using modern computer technology in police activities, criminal intelligence in the cybersphere, and digital forensics.

The Department of Combating Cybercrime is a graduate program in the specialty 125 “Cybersecurity and Information Protection” and also provides training in the specialty 126 “Information Systems and Technologies”. The academic staff of the Department supervises the educational practice and internships of university cadets studying in the specialty 125 “Cybersecurity and Information Protection”.

One of the priorities of the Department is to train qualified specialists for the National Police of Ukraine, who are focused on combating technically complex crimes. The cadets study the latest methods of using computer equipment in operational and investigative activities, with considerable attention paid to the study of modern information technologies. The knowledge gained is used by the graduates during their service in the operational units of the National Police of Ukraine and expert units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine involved in combating cybercrime.

The academic staff of the Department participates in conducting professional initial training and advanced training courses for employees of information support, cyberpolice, criminal analysis of investigation, educational security service, patrol police and other units of the National Police of Ukraine.

In its work, the department constantly maintains contact with the territorial units of cyberpolice, criminal analysis, investigation, technical information protection, information support of the National Police of Ukraine, as well as with the expert forensic units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The Department actively cooperates with the Department of Information and Analytical Support of the Main Department of the National Police in Kharkiv Region and the Department of Artificial Intelligence of Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics in the development and implementation of innovative approaches to police interaction with the public based on modern information technologies and the development of mathematical and analytical support for innovative criminal analysis tools.

Scientific work

The main directions of the scientific work of the Department are:

• methods of conducting examinations during the investigation of cybercrime;

• use of information technologies in operational and investigative activities;

• building a comprehensive information security system and information security management system;

• disclosure of criminal offenses committed with the use of crypto assets;

• development of security policies for computer systems;

• audit of the organization's computer security;

• development and implementation of information security systems;

• organization of technical protection of information.

The Department constantly conducts educational work with higher education students, operates a scientific circle “Technology in the Service of the Police”, where cadets manufacture devices in the field of information security, create programs in this area, participate in scientific conferences, competitions, competitions held between higher education institutions, publish scientific articles, interact with employees of practical units in order to coordinate their developments with the needs of practical police units.

The staff of the Department participates in two Horizon projects:

- RESONANT - multidisciplinary research cooperation on information suppression and diaspora communities as a target of fOreign iNformation mAnipulation and interference (the program “Horizon of Europe”);

- NOTIONES (iNteracting netwOrk of inTelligence and securIty practitiOners with iNdustry and acadEmia actorS) (Horizon 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.3030/101021853).

Contacts:
Address: Ukraine, Kharkiv, 27 Lva Landau Ave.;
E-mail: kaf-itk@univd.edu.ua.