The Formative Stages of the National Cryptographic System in Ukraine (1991—2022)

Abstract

The article focuses on the formation and development of the Ukrainian cryptographic system during Ukraine’s independence period (1991—2022), from the establishment of a regulatory framework for cryptographic protection and the founding of relevant academic departments in leading Ukrainian universities to the development of national encryption standards and the active participation of Ukrainian specialists in leading global blockchain projects. The research sources included Ukrainian legislative and regulatory acts in the field of cryptography and cybersecurity, State Standards of Ukraine, technical specifications and scientific publications of Ukrainian cryptographers, information from official websites of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” and the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”, official documentation and materials from specialized publications. Three main phases in the institutional formation of the national cryptographic system were identified: the transitional period (1992—2006) — using post-Soviet standards and establishing the State Technical Commission under the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection under the SSU; the period of national system formation (2006—2014) — establishing the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine and holding the national cryptographic competition; the period of consolidation and international recognition (2014—2022) — adopting national cryptographic protection standards, with their submission to ISO/IEC. Emphasis is placed on the Ukrainian specialists’ involvement in global blockchain projects (Bitfury, Solana, NEAR Protocol, zkSync, Trust Wallet, WhiteBIT, Hacken), demonstrating international recognition of the Ukrainian cryptographic system and the ability of Ukrainians to create innovative world-class technological solutions. It was found that the Ukrainian cryptographic system evolved from using post-Soviet state standards to creating original national algorithms and globally competitive innovative solutions.